


Take A Chance On Me

by AdeenBanner



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Versions, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Angst, Dragon-type Pokemon, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Ghost Manipulation, Grieving, Haunting, Mental Health Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Smut, draconids, mentally abusive past relationship, some possible triggering topics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:15:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 33
Words: 109,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24121957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdeenBanner/pseuds/AdeenBanner
Summary: Vivienne Gray, younger sister to Galar's most skilled Gym Leader, leaves her cheating boyfriend and the Hoenn region behind her to start fresh back home. It has been five years since Vivienne has set foot on Galar soil since the passing of her mother. One chance meeting with the Champion of Galar could help her forget the past few years. But all that is left behind sometimes comes back to haunt you when you least expect it.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Original Character(s)
Comments: 497
Kudos: 82





	1. A Dragon's Return Home

Chapter One

It was a beautiful day in Sootopolis City. The sun shined brightly on the white stone walkways. The sounds of the waterfalls were tranquil, resonating throughout the city. The water pokemon were leaping out of the water. Everything seemed calm and peaceful that day as joggers ran up the stairs and merchants were going about their day. That wasn’t the case for one household. People passing by slowed down and stared in concern from the amount of yelling coming from the house. The door flew open and Vivienne ducked under the frame and stormed out with a duffel bag strapped over her shoulder. The ball cap on her head covered her face as she started walking down the stairs, heading towards the docks. A man was quickly putting a shirt on as he hurried out the door after her. Vivienne could feel the tears burning her eyes, but she wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She tried her best to ignore him calling out her name. She was about to step onto the dock when the man grabbed her elbow quickly, instantly she ripped it out of his grip. 

“Baby, that wasn’t nothing!” he told her, his voice almost pleading. 

“Walking in on you with someone else is nothing?” She snarled, her accent becoming heavier. 

“Viv, I can explain-” 

“No, Everett. No. We’re done. We’re beyond done. So you can just go back and dick down any slut you want to.”

Vivienne was shaking at this point, her fists clenched into fists. The knuckles on her hands were turning white. She lowered her head so he wouldn’t see the tears streaming down her face. She cursed at herself for getting emotional over the likes of him. Everett stepped forward, Vivienne towering over him significantly. 

“Where are you going to go? Huh? This is your home.” 

“No. No, this isn’t my home. I’m going home, far away from the likes of you.” Vivienne raised her head just enough that he could see her cerulean eyes practically glowing in the shadow of her cap. She turned away from him and headed to the end of the dock. 

Everett scowled and his jaw clenched. His eyes narrowed as he watched her walk away. 

“Fine! Go home! Be a fucking coward. I just hope you know you’ll never find anyone better than me, bitch! You don’t fucking deserve anyone better than me, and you fucking know it!” 

Vivienne released her Gyrados into the water, feeling her chest become heavy from his words. She choked back a sob as she took a deep breath, putting on a brave face. She hopped onto the Pokemon’s back and pulled out her phone as it started heading towards the area to dive. She dialed the one person she knew was back home. She put the phone up to her ear and waited, with shaky hands, through the three tones before the person finally picked up. 

“Hello…?” The familiar voice came over the phone, sounding like they had just woken up. 

Vivienne forgot about the twelve hour difference between Hoenn and Galar. It must have been two in the morning, their time, at the moment. She released a shaky breath, biting her lip, trying not to lose her composure. 

“H-hey, bro…” She hoped he couldn’t hear the unsteadiness in her voice. 

“Vivienne, what’s wrong?” 

“N-nothing-”

“No, none of that bull shit.” It sounded like he was moving around. “What’s wrong?”

“Everett cheated on me…” she choked, furiously wiping her tears away. 

“The fucking son of a bitch did what?” He growled. 

“I don’t want to be here anymore… I hate it here… I hate everything… I want to come home…” 

Gyrados turned his head as he heard her sob, frowning in concern. 

“Hey, now… sh sh, it’s okay. You can come home. No one said you couldn’t come home, okay? Did you talk to dad?”

“N-No, I haven’t talked to him yet… I’m-I’m sorry I woke you up… I don’t know who to call at home…”

“No, no, don’t apologize. It’s okay, alright? You need to come home, alright?”

“Rai, can I-can I stay with you…? Until I get my shit together?” She stammered, almost hesitant to bother asking him. 

“Are you kidding me right now? Of course you can stay with me. Where are you right now?” 

“I’m leaving Sootopolis City now.. I’m heading to the airport once I’m away from this hell hole…” 

“Text me when you get on the plane, okay? Or I can come there and beat the shit out of the asshole for you?” 

Vivienne laughed, wiping the new tears away. Raihan always knew how to make her laugh in these types of situations. She couldn’t have asked for a better older brother, even if they were just a year apart. 

“He’s not worth an assbeating from you. He’s simply not worthy.” 

She heard him chuckle sleepily over the phone. 

“Okay, okay. Well, I guess I’ll see you later today.” 

“I’ll see you later then…” She paused for a moment. “I miss you, Raihan…” 

“I miss you too, Viv… You’ll be home soon enough, alright?”

“Yeah, yeah I will. I love you, bro.” 

“I love you too, sis. Night.”

“Good night.” The call ended. She wrapped her arms around Gyrados’s neck, resting her head on his neck, closing her eyes. “We’re going home, buddy…”

Fourteen hours later, and she finally was on Galar soil again for the first time in five years. She gripped onto her bag as she left Wyndon Airport on the shuttle. She was exhausted, but that couldn’t stop the smile creeping onto her lips. The towering buildings and double decker buses passed by the window quickly as the shuttle headed towards the train station. There was still the long train ride to Hammerlocke, but she would be able to sleep on the train. It almost felt like a dream being back home. The shuttle stopped in front of the station. Vivienne waited for the people in front of her to get off then hopped off with a quick thanks to the driver. She stared up at the station, trembling from the nerves and excitement of seeing her brother in a matter of hours. Taking a deep breath, she walked through the doors. She purchased her ticket at the booth, then started heading towards the platform. She stared down at the words HAMMERLOCKE stamped on the card, smiling at the name of her hometown. She was so focused on the ticket that she didn’t see the person in front of her and bumped right into them. 

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorr-” She turned around quickly to apologize. 

Everything seemed to slow down when she locked eyes with the most beautiful amber eyes she had ever seen. He was a few inches shorter than her and incredibly handsome with long purple hair and dark, well-groomed facial hair lining his jawline. His choice of fashion was an interesting one with the uniform, compression pants, cape, and snapback, but he made it work. He never took his eyes off hers. The sounds of the station sounded far away at that moment. Her cheeks were burning from the amount of eye contact, but she couldn’t avert her gaze. 

“Hi…” He dumbfoundedly greeted.

“Hi…” 

They stood there, staring at one another. A voice broke them from their trance. 

“Champion Leon!” A League Staff member shouted from across the room. 

The man named Leon turned his head and nodded before turning his attention back to Vivienne. He flashed her a genuine smile before walking towards the staff member. He kept looking back over his shoulder to look at her, making her smile for some reason. She gave him a small wave, staring after him. A voice came over the speakers above. 

_ “All passengers: The train from Wyndon Station to Hammerlocke Station is leaving in five minutes.”  _

Vivienne shook her head and cleared her throat, turning and heading towards the platform to get to her train. She took one last look at the man she had bumped into, knowing full well she would probably never see him again. She grinned lightly as she stepped up to the train. 

“He definitely has a nice ass.” She mumbled to herself, stepping up onto the train. 

Vivienne found her seat and plopped into it, staring out the window. The train shifted and slowly started trekking its way down the tracks. Her eyes fluttered shut as the movement of the train lulled her asleep, exhaustion taking over. 


	2. Whispers in the Wind

Chapter Two:

Leon got back to his apartment earlier than normal that evening, unable to get his mind off the woman he saw at the train station. He swore he had seen those bright, ocean blue eyes before. She was definitely someone he couldn’t forget. Her silver-white hair resting on her shoulders and her bright blue eyes popped against her darker skin. Her small smile she gave him made his stomach flip from how it lit up her face. He cursed at himself for not catching her name. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and groaned. 

“Way to go, Leon… you could have asked her for a name… but no… all you said was hi and walked away. Great. Just great… This is why you’re single, dumbass.” 

He took off his cape and hung it up before going into his room, changing into sweats and a form-fitting t-shirt. His Rotom Phone rang and flew over to him. Raihan was video calling him. He grabbed the phone and walked back into his living room, sitting on the couch as he answered the call. 

“Hey, man, what’s up?” he greeted, setting his hat on the coffee table. 

“Hey, sup. Just bored, waiting for my sister to get here.” 

“Your sister? She’s coming home? Damn, no one’s seen her in what, five years?” 

“Yeah, man. She wouldn’t let me come and beat the shit out of her piece of shit boyfriend, but I’m glad she’s finally coming home.” 

“I don’t think the Chairman would appreciate you getting arrested for assault charges.” Leon responded with a grin. 

“I mean, that’s very fair. Though, I’d rather face the Chairman than my dad in that situation.” 

“That’s fair. Your dad is intimidating as fuck.” 

“You’re telling me, mate… try living with him for fifteen years.” 

Leon became distracted. Raihan’s eyes were the same color as the girl at the train station. He didn’t know why he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He didn’t even know her name, but she was probably the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. His focus was brought back when he heard fingers snapping. Leon looked at the screen, shaking his head. Raihan was snapping his fingers at him.

“Yoooo, oi, mate, you still with me?” 

“Sorry, sorry… I got distracted.” Leon rubbed the back of his head. 

“Dude, I know I’m sexy as fuck, but you should be used to the power of my good looks by now.” Raihan cockily teased, Leon rolling his eyes. 

“No, no, I just met this girl and-”

“Hooooooold up, hold the fucking phone. Did you, Leon, say you met a girl? You, of all people, interracted with a female?” 

“Wow, harsh… makes me feel all warm and cozy. Thanks, Rai. Thanks.” 

“Dude, every since you and Sonia broke up, you’ve had the shittiest luck with girls.” 

Leon sighed heavily, leaning against his thighs, wringing his hands. As much as he hated admitting it, his best friend was right about that one. Even after two years, it was still rough after Sonia broke up with him. It was almost like a curse on dating after that. Either they didn’t want to commit, they were just dating him for the fame, or they just never called him back. It was exhausting and lonesome behind his Champion persona he put on for the public. 

“Yeah, you’re not wrong…” Leon’s voice trailed off. 

“Well? You going to tell me about her or am I just going to have to guess?” 

“Oh um, I don’t know. I bumped into her at the station. Like dude, she was my type and everything.” 

“Let me guess: tall, beautiful, probably could kick your ass, thick with a great ass?” 

“That’s just...scary how you know me that well.” 

“I’m your best friend. I know all. Now was I right?” 

“Yes, you were right…” he admitted, feeling his face flush. 

“Even the great ass part?” Raihan inquired, a smirk forming on his face. 

“Oh yeah, a great ass.” Leon shook his head, covering half his face with his hand. 

“So if I were to give you a scale between 1 and 10, 1 being alright and 10 being out of this world, what would you rate it?” 

“Oh my Arceus, you’re impossible…” Leon thought for a moment. “Uh, I’d give it a 10.5.” 

“Daaaaamn, off the scale rating? I hope you got her name.” Leon didn’t speak. “You did get her name right?” 

“Uh…” Leon awkwardly smiled, chuckling nervously. 

Raihan groaned, slamming his palm to his forehead. 

“Leon, Leon, Leon, you didn’t get her name? Are you serious man?” 

“There was a lot of staring… and I said hi… then I walked away.” 

“Arceus give me strength… okay, okay, well you may see her again.” Raihan tried to give his friend some reassurance. Leon just shook his head. 

“Yeah, I highly doubt that, but thanks, man.” 

Raihan shrugged. 

“You never know, mate. Ya just gotta keep your chin up.” Raihan’s phone buzzed over the speaker of the phone. He checked his notifcation and the biggest smile crept onto his face. “Hey, mate, my sister will be getting here in ten minutes. I’m going to meet her at the station. I’ll talk to you later, alright?” 

“Yeah, man, you go ahead. I’m probably going to call it early tonight, anyway.” 

“Rough day?” 

“Yeah, a bit. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay? Go be with your sister.” 

“Thanks, mate! Talk to you in the morning.” 

The video call ended. Leon sighed heavily and got up, turning off the lights in the apartment before heading to bed. Raihan’s reassuring words replayed in his mind, but he just didn’t think anything was possible with his ‘curse’. The exhausting day was starting to get to him. As soon as his head hit the pillow, sleep began to take over. 

Vivienne stepped off the train, onto the platform. The station wasn’t that busy that evening. She stepped out into the lobby of the station, looking for her brother. It didn’t take long to find the towering giant in the crowd. His eyes spotted her and he pushed through the crowd. She quickly ran over to him. They met in the middle, both throwing their arms around each other. Raihan picked her up, spinning her around, her hat knocking off her head. He stroked her hair and held her close, afraid to let her go. Vivienne held him tightly and broke into sobs, burying her face into his neck. It had been so long since had hugged her brother. She felt safe and like everything was going to be okay. Raihan put her down carefully and grabbed her face gently. His own eyes were tearing up as he looked at his little sister. She was there in person, not over a video call, but in person. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs, smiling brightly down at her. 

“You’re actually here. You’re here here.” Raihan stammered excitedly. 

“I am here here.” She laughed. 

“Damn, you got tall and pretty. Stop that. You’re supposed to be my little sister.” 

“I’m still your little sister, oh freakishly tall one.” she teased, blushing at the pretty part. She wasn’t used to being called pretty. 

“Freakishly tall? I’m too good looking to be called freakish.” 

“Wow, who filled you up with hot air?” 

Raihan chuckled and leaned down, picking up her hat, putting it on her head the wrong way. He took her bag, putting it over his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her towards the exit. Vivienne laughed and fixed her hat, wrapping her arm around his waist as they walked. 

“Come on, let’s get you home.” Raihan pressed his lips on the top of her head, walking out of the station. 

Even in the nightime, Vivienne had forgotten how beautiful Hammerlocke was. The lanterned, cobblestone streets, the high fortress walls, the castle overlooking the entire city, it was absolutely stunning. The crisp evening air sent a chill through her, different from the weather she had been in hours before, but it was refreshing. This was her home, and she planned never staying away this long again. 

The jet lag and emotional exhaustion had kicked Vivienne in the ass. She slept a lot the next two days, only waking up to use the bathroom or eat something. Raihan mainly let her sleep and made sure there was food prepared for her while he was at the stadium, preparing for the new Gym Challenge Season. It was on the third day she finally had the energy to do anything. She hopped into the shower and let the warm water cascade over her body, hoping it would wash away all of Everett’s words away that echoed in her head. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t stop. 

“ _ I just hope you know you’ll never find anyone better than me, bitch! You don’t fucking deserve anyone better than me, and you fucking know it!” _

She clenched her eyes shut, resting her forehead against the wall. The image of Everett in bed with another woman made her chest tighten. It felt like she was cursed. Nothing but unhappiness followed her around since her mother passed away and her dad dragged her to Hoenn to escape. She wasn’t blaming her dad. She knew all too well how broken her father was over the loss of her mom. It was the worst day for everyone in the Gray family. Now she was dealing with the consequences of her curse that the universe had damned her with. Vivienne wanted so desperately to forget everything that happened in the past five years while she was gone, but it proved impossible. She wished she had never met Everett, she wished she never listened to all his lies and hadn’t done all the things she put to the back of her mind. 

Vivienne shook her head quickly, trying to stop herself from spiraling into a depressive state. She didn’t need that right now. She took a deep breath and tried to think of positive things, tried to focus on the sound of the shower, the feel of the water running down her body. She thought about the guy she bumped into at the station and smiled lightly. His smile was so genuine, and the way he kept looking back at her as he walked away made her cheeks burn. She sighed, knowing she probably would never see him again and didn’t get his name. 

_ Wait… didn’t someone shout his name…? Champion Leonidas…? Champion Leonard…? Champion… ugh… Vivienne, you can remember his face but you can’t remember his name?  _

She washed herself up and her hair before rinsing the soap suds off. She shut the water off and stepped out, drying herself off, wrapping the towel around her. She stared into the mirror, her hair dripping. 

“Today is going to be a good day… you’re going to go walking about, and we’re going to have a good day…no crying today. You hear me? We’re going to have a good, happy day.” She hyped herself up then groaned. “You’re talking to yourself V… Fuck’s sake.” 

Walking out to her bed, she slipped into her underwear before slipping her black leggings on. She threw her green cami over her head, then shrugged her black baseball jersey top, buttoning it up. She sat on the bed and put on her black and bright orange high tops. She brushed out her hair, putting her ball cap on. Grabbing her phone and satchel bag, she headed out of her room and out the front door, locking up. Vivienne looked to the right and saw their family home in the near distance, standing there, unoccupied. A sad smiled crept onto her face. She knew Raihan had his reasons to stay in the guest house on the property. There were too many happy and sad memories in that house. 

_ Eight year old Vivienne hid behind a tree, slowly turning her head to peer behind it. She didn’t see anyone around. She slowly crept out from behind the tree, her small form tip toeing around. Her foot crunched a branch. She froze and clenched her eyes shut, waiting for someone to get her. She slowly opened her eyes and still saw no one. She exhaled in relief.  _

_ “Boo.”  _

_ Vivienne screamed and stumbled and fell over, quickly rolling onto her back. Raihan was dangling upside down in the tree behind her. He laughed and pulled himself up, jumping down gracefully from the tree. He brought his his hands up and pretended to roar like a dragon.  _

_ “Raaaawr. Looks like meats back on the menu.” he growled playfully.  _

_ Vivienne hopped up and acted out unsheathing a sword.  _

_ “I don’t think so! I am the mighty princess who slays the dragon!”  _

_ She acted out that she attacked the dragon. Raihan put his hand over his heart and the other on his forehead, dramatically beginning to fall to the ground.  _

_ “Oh no! The mighty princess has slain me. Good-bye, cruel, cruel world… Bleh.”  _

_ He fell back on the ground, pretending to be dead, leaving Vivienne standing in a fit of giggles. Raihan opened one eyes and smiled brightly, showing off his fangs. They both looked up when they heard someone walk and stop beside them. She had long silver-white hair with bright brown eyes, her skin lightly tanned. She towered over the young children with a warm and welcoming smile on her lips.  _

_ “What are you playing, my darlings?” Her voice was soft and musical.  _

_ “Raihan is the dragon, and I’m the mighty princess who slays the dragon!” Vivienne giggled, running up to her mother.  _

_ Aster crouched down and enveloped her daughter in her arms, gently pressing her lips to her forehead.  _

_ “Is that so?” She chuckled softly. “You are the mightiest warrior in all the lands, milady, to slay a dragon as fierce as this one.”  _

_ “Yeah, I’m pretty fierce, aren’t I mum?” Raihan asked, hopping up to his feet.  _

_ She held out an arm for him, and he walked into her embraced, hugging her neck.  _

_ “Oh yes, my darling. But would you like to hear a story about one of the fiercest dragons to roam the heavens?”  _

_ “A story?” They both inquired excitedly. _

_ The children’s eyes widened as they gazed up at their mother. She chuckled softly, sitting under the tree, the children sitting beside her excited. She ran her fingers through Raihan’s hair lovingly, Vivienne crawling into her lap.  _

_ “Are we all comfortable…? Alright. Long ago in a far away place, nearly two thousands years ago, meteors constantly fell from the sky. The ancient Pokemon Kyogre, the pokemon able to expand seas, and Groudon, the pokemon able to expand continents, fought mercilessly, destroying all that was in their way. But they were stopped by the mighty Rayquaza, who ascended back to the heavens once the ancient pokemon returned where they came from and fell into a deep slumber. A thousand years later, a huge meteor struck and Ground and Kyogre were awakened. The Lorekeeper of the Draconid people held up a Rainbow Stone and wished for Rayquaza to return and stop the ancient pokemon once more. The mighty Dragon pokemon returned and a fierce battle broke out. When it was all done, Kyogre and Groudon returned to the depths, and Rayquaza returned to the sky once more. The Draconid people built a tower, called Sky Pillar, where they could summon their Lord Rayquaza. They foretold that another meteor would strike and awaken the ancient pokemon once more after one thousand years of peace, and that Rayquaza would be summoned once more to protect the world we know.”  _

_ “Wow… a Dragon pokemon like that exists?” Raihan was speechless.  _

_ “Have you seen Rayquaza, mummy?” Vivienne asked, eyeing her mother with stars in her eyes.  _

_ Aster’s face softened, smiling lovingly down at her daughter. She brushed the young girl’s hair out of her face, pulling a leaf out of it from when she had fallen.  _

_ “I’ve seen it once before the two of you were born… your father has seen it as well.”  _

_ “Really??? Can daddy tame it like the other dragons???”  _

_ “Oh no, my darling… I’m sure he could, though.”  _

_ “If what the legend says is true, doesn’t that mean the meteor would fall soon, mother…?” Raihan inquired hesitantly.  _

_ She turned her head and lifted his chin gently, smiling, pressing her lips against his forehead.  _

_ “You don’t worry about that, alright? That will be all taken care of after I’m…” She trailed off.  _

_ “Long after what, mummy?” Vivienne tugged on her mother’s shirt gently.  _

_ Aster smiled sadly, shaking her head lightly.  _

_ “Nothing, my darling… nothing to worry about at all…”  _

Vivienne smiled sadly at the memory, the breeze blowing through the leaves of that old tree. She headed towards the gate and opened it, walking out and shutting it behind her. Today was going to be a good day she kept reminding herself. She left the castle grounds and began walking into the city, listening to the breeze rustling the leaves and the bells from the castle ringing as the hour struck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooo. If you're here from my other story, Everything I Wanted, you kind of already have an idea about my Raihan family headcanon. If you're new here, hello. Welcome to my angst show. I love how this chapter turned out, and I hope you enjoy it too.


	3. When Titans Fall

Chapter Three

The city was bustling that day. Everyone was out on that lovely day. It was warmer than it had been the night before. Pokemon were strolling with their owners, people were laughing and shopping. Vivienne breathed in the fresh air, smiling. She turned her ball cap backwards so the sun would hit her face. Some people stopped and stared, trying to figure out where they had seen her before, and also because she towered over everyone. She was fourteen the last time she stepped foot in Hammerlocke. She had changed a lot since then; a few tattoos, shorter hair, and one huge growth spurt later, here she was. 

She found herself heading towards the castle. She spent a lot of time there when her father was the Gym Leader. He would let them watch battles or training sessions, and even let them train with him on certain days. She remembered all the events her father would hold at the castle to commemorate significant historical moments in Galar history. They were always her favorite; listening to her father talk about history, seeing her parents dressed in old fashioned clothes from the olden times, people dancing. These were all happy things she remembered from her childhood. She reached the bridge when her Rotom Phone flew out of her bag and into her hand. Raihan had texted her. 

**_Tall Ass Dragon Bitch:_ ** _ Hey, V! Just wanted to check on ya. _

**_Dragon Weeb:_ ** _ Yeah, I’m good! I’m just out walking about. I’m at the castle now. _

**_Tall Ass Dragon Bitch:_ ** _ Oh awesome! If you want to stop in and chill while I’m training, I’ll tell Viktor to let you in.  _

**_Dragon Weeb:_ ** _ Awesome sauce! I’ll be in once I”m done roaming!  _

She shoved her phone back in her bag and stumbled into someone, losing her balance. A arm quickly wrapped around her waist, keeping her from falling on her ass. She gasped and gripped onto the shirt of whoever caught her and looked up. She froze, her heart racing. It was the guy from the train station. They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, both equally surprised in this second chance meeting. He steadied her on her feet, unable to keep his eyes off hers. It took her a moment to realize she was still gripping onto his shirt. She cleared her throat and quickly let go, smoothing out his shirt before shoving her hands behind her back, biting her lip. 

_ Fuck, fuck, fuck. He definitely works out. Act cool. Act cool. _

“Uh, we should really stop running into each other like this…” he joked, rubbing the back of his head, laughing nervously. 

_Fuck. He’s even dorky AND_ _cute._

“I don’t know, I kind of like running into you.” Her face flushed, realizing the words came out of her mouth instead of staying in her head. 

_ Did you just fucking say that? Did you just fucking flirt with the beefcake? Like you don’t have a single chance with a guy like him, and NOW you try? _

She saw his face turn red, taking his snapback off, running a hand through his hair. He flashed her a toothy smile. It felt like someone punched her when he smiled at her. It was genuine and welcoming and added to his already handsome face. 

“Well, if we keep running into each other, could I at least have your name?” 

_ Oof… that was smooth pretty boy… that was smooth… _

“Oh um… I’m Vivienne or people call me Viv or V.” She pulled a strand of her hair behind her ear. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Vivienne. My name’s Leon.” 

_ LEON. THAT’S IT. Not fucking Leonidas, ya twat.  _

“The pleasure is mine, Leon. Thank you for catching me. You sure have a way of making girls fall for you.” She bit her lip hard, realizing what she just said, her cheeks were practically on fire at this point. “I mean-! Not like that! We just- I um- thanks? Fuck.” 

She groaned and put her hands in her face, hurrying past him. Leon turned around jogged after her, resting his hand gently on her shoulder. 

“Hey, wait, I um- would you like to get coffee or...walk somewhere together some time…?” 

Vivienne batted her eyes as she came to a stop, looking down at him. Was he asking her out? Should she even go out after breaking off her relationship? 

_ Why should you care about that? The asshole cheated on you. Just say yes. He’s better than Everett. _

_ ‘You don’t fucking deserve anyone better than me, and you fucking know it!’ _

Everett’s voice entered her thoughts, making her hesitate. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, but she wanted to talk to Leon more. He seemed sweet and kind and not too much of a threat. She chewed on her cheek as she fought with her thoughts. She sighed and smiled lightly at Leon, coming to a decision. 

“I uh- sure. I happen to like both those things.” She was wringing her hands, staring down at the ground now. 

“If that was too forward, I apologize-” He stopped his rambling and blinked, finally processing her answer. “Wait, really?” She nodded slowly, her eyes meeting his. “O-okay, would you like to-” 

“Champion Leon! Thank goodness I caught you before you headed back for Wyndon.” 

A tall, handsome tan-skinned man jogged over to them. He had bright green eyes, black hair, and neatly-trimmed facial hair. Vivienne was still the tallest in the group. Vivienne remembered him, but something about him reminded her of someone. She couldn’t think of who it was at the moment. Leon turned his attention to the man, his eyebrows furrowed, his expression more serious than a moment before. 

“Is something the matter, Chairman?” He inquired, folding his arms across his chest. 

“I need to discuss a few more things with you about finalizing preparations for this years Gym Challenge and the power plant.” He noticed Vivienne standing there and laughed. “Oh, how rude of me! I did not see you there, my dear. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Chairman Rose. And who might you be?” He extended his hand out to her. 

“Vivienne Gray. Pleased to meet you, Chairman.” She shook his hand. His handshake wasn’t a strong one. 

“Gray, huh? Same as our young Leader, Raihan, here!” 

Vivienne rubbed her arm, laughing nervously. 

“Yeah… it’s a pretty common name.” She lied, sighing in relief when the Chairman and Leon believed it. 

“You’re right! It quite is!”

“Chairman, if you give me a moment with Miss Gray, I’ll be right with you to discuss everything you mentioned.” 

“Oh wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.” The Chairman grabbed onto one of Vivienne’s hands with both of his and shook it lightly. “It was truly a pleasure meeting you, my dear.” 

The Chairman released her hand and walked back inside the castle. Leon groaned, his shoulders slouched. Vivienne giggled at his reaction, covering her mouth. 

“I can’t catch a break…” he grumbled. He stood up straight again and smiled at her. “Are you doing anything tomorrow…?” 

“Hm… let me check my calendar.” She put her finger on her chin and thought for a moment before she grinned at him. “Seems you’re in luck. I’m free all day tomorrow.” 

“C-could I give you my number?” Leon nervously stammered. 

Vivienne smiled sweetly and took her Rotom Phone out of her bag, handing it to him. He took it and put his contact information into her phone, sending himself a message. He handed it back to her, smiling again. She couldn’t get over his smile. It made her melt. 

“I’m staying in town with my brother. Just name a time and place, and I’ll be there.” 

“O-okay, Viv… I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at the Battle Cafe. Twelve okay?” 

“Twelve would be perfect.” She reassured him, smiling brightly at him. 

“Okay, awesome! Well, uh, I’ll see you tomorrow, Vivienne.”

“See you tomorrow, Leon.” 

Vivienne watched as he started walking back into the castle. He looked over his shoulder and waved at her, tripping and stumbling on a cobble stone sticking out of the ground. He caught himself and rubbed the back of his head mumbling. He turned around and winked at her, brushing himself off. 

“I meant to do that…” He hid the embarrassment, clearing his thraot as he turned back around and hurried inside, disappearing from sight. 

Vivienne was in a fit of giggles over how goofy he was. Everett never made her laugh this much, even when the relationship was good. It felt… nice for a change. She headed into the castle entrance, entering the lobby of the Stadium. The main gym attendant guarding the entrance into the stadium was definitely new. She stepped up to him, smiling down at him. 

“Hi, um, I’m Raihan’s sister, Vivienne. You must be Viktor. He told me I could come in.” 

“Yes, miss. He told me you might drop by.” Viktor stepped aside, allowing her to pass. 

“Thank you very much.” 

“No trouble at all, miss.” He stepped back into his position after she walked through.

She headed through the doorway, making her way for the locker room. She entered through the pitch that way and walked out onto the field. Nothing much had changed since the last time she was in this gym. She turned to look at a specific seating and smiled. 

_ Vivienne and Raihan leaned over the railing excitedly, waiting for the battle to begin. Aster sat back in her seat with her hands in her lap, smiling at her children. The stadium was going crazy. The Challenger on the field seemed nervous but ready to face the fiercest Gym Leader in all of Galar. Draken walked out onto the field, the crowd chanting his name. He smiled brightly, exposing his fangs as he waved at the different sides of the arena. His long black locks were tied back, a pair of small, square rimmed glasses resting on his nose. Women practically swooned whenever Draken walked onto the field in his dark orange tailcoat jacket, his traditional highwaisted pants, his pirate shirt, Vivienne had called it, and his knee high boots. Vivienne was always confused as to why women acted like that towards her dad, but it didn’t matter. Draken only cared about the three most important people in his life. He pointed at the spot they sat and winked, blowing them a kiss, a habit that had become second nature. Vivienne and Raihan waved excitedly back at their father. Vivienne turned to see her mother pulling her hair behind her ear, her cheeks red, a large, bright smile on her face, and that look in her eyes that grown ups had when they were in love. Vivienne could only dream of finding someone who loved her the way her parents loved each other.  _

_ Draken tossed his coat flaps back and confidentally stood before his challenger, his smile turning into a smirk.  _

_ “Any trainer who makes it to me must be a worthy opponent. But do you have what it takes to beat me? If you want a chance to beat our great Champion, you have to go through me first. Show me a good time. Don’t be boring, mate.”  _

_ They walked back to their positions on the field, and the battle began. Vivienne and Raihan would watch the battle in awe. Not only was their father a strategic and ruthless battler, his battles were also a spectacle; almost an art form. They had never seen anything more magnificent and almost as magical as their father’s battles.  _

_ The Challenger’s pokemon all fainted, only managing to take out two of their father’s pokemon.  _

_ “Challenger Eric’s Gyrados is unable to battle! Leader Draken is the winner!” _

_ Her father praised and stroked Kommo-o before he returned the pokemon to its Ultra Ball. The two met in the center of the field, shaking hands.  _

_ “That was one hell of a battle. Keep training and maybe one day we can battle again.” _

_ “Awe, man! That was a brilliant battle!” Raihan exclaimed, clenching his hands into fists, pumping them in the air. “When I grow up, I want to be a Leader as great as dad!”  _

_ “I’m sure you will, my darling, I’m sure you will. But you must train hard in order to make it so, you understand?”  _

_ “Oh, of course, mother.” He nodded, leaning over the rail again to watch their father. “I’m going to be the greatest Leader Galar has ever seen… Just like my dad…” _

_ Vivienne just stared at her father with stars in her eyes. She hoped she could love and care for Dragon Pokemon the way her father did. Draken waved at the crowd as they started chanting his name again and bowed.He lifted his head and looked up at where they were seated and had the brightest smile on his face. Vivienne always loved seeing her father smile. It was bright, welcoming, and lit up the entire room. She never thought a day would come where he would never smile the same again.  _

But that day came. 

_ After her mother’s death, Vivienne and Raihan would still go to their father’s matches. They were fourteen and fifteen now. Only this time, their father kept losing matches, even to Challengers who were no match for him. They would win. He would walk out onto the field. He wouldn’t smile. He wouldn’t wave. He wouldn’t even look at his children in the stands. The stadium was silent out of respect as Draken walked to the center of the field. No stadium was ever this silent in all the league’s history. Everyone in Galar respected the Dragon-Type Gym Leader, and they knew the loss of his wife took a toll on him.  _

_ The battle began and Vivienne felt her heart break and tears stream down her face as she watched her father. He just didn’t care anymore about winning and battling. He appeared broken, dark circles under his bright eyes. He wasn’t focused. His orders to his pokemon were delayed. His pokemon tried their hardest, sensing Draken’s pain and lack of concentration, but they all fell one by one. The battle was over. Her father and the challenger met in the middle of the field, shaking hands. Draken stood there with his head held low before he had the courage to face the crowd in the stands. He scanned the audience slowly, no one spoke for minutes.  _

_ “Would my children please come down onto the field please?”  _

_ Vivienne and Raihan exhanged looks with one another, just as confused as the other. A League member fetched them and took them down to the field. Everyone waited patiently, murmuring amongst themselves as the finally stood on either side of their father.  _

_ “I have failed you all and my children as Leader of this great city, and I deeply apologize to each one of you who have loyally supported me throughout the many years. I hereby resign as Leader and Guardian of the Vault, and pass down the title to my eldest child, Raihan.”  _

_ “W-what?” Raihan stammered, his eyes widening.  _

_ Draken didn’t answer him. The crowd was shocked, murmuring louder than before. He raised his hands and everyone hushed.  _

_ “Raihan has been training with me for years and has defeated me in the challenge. He has faced our champion five years consecutively in a row, thus far. I believe he is worthy of the titles that have been handed down throughout the years. He will not let you down. Now it is with great sadness that I bid you all adieu one final time as your Leader. Thank you, my friends, and may we meet again one day.”  _

_ Draken wrapped his arms around his children’s shoulders and led them off the field. Vivienne couldn’t stop crying but kept her head held high. Raihan was horrified, his eyes still wide from shock. The audience began to chant the chant Draken had heard so many times before throughout the years. Vivienne glanced up and saw the tears streaming down her father’s face as he held his chin up, proudly leaving behind what he loved doing most.  _

Vivienne heard the sounds of laughter and tore her gaze from the section. Raihan had his hands behind his back, smiling and shaking his head as the only other male in the group was on the ground, rubbing his head. The two girls laughed as a Sliggoo pranced around the guy on the ground. Raihan lifted his head and smiled brightly when he saw Vivienne. 

“Hey, Viv! Come here! I want you to meet my friends!” 

She waved and returned the smile, walking over to the group. The guy on the ground returned his pokemon and stood up to his feet. Raihan took one stride and was next to Vivienne, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. 

“Guys, this is my sister, Vivienne. Vivienne this is Sebastian, Camilla, and Aria.” 

They each greeted her kindly, then Raihan turned his attention back to the three. 

“You guys worked hard today. I think we’re ready for the season. You can call it quits early today. I’ll see you bright and early in the morning.” 

“Yes, Leader Raihan. Thank you.” 

They waved and wished them a good afternoon, disappearing into the pitch. Raihan started walking with Vivienne, his arm still wrapped around her. He gave her a quick kiss on the temple. 

“You hungry?” He inquired, trying to make conversation. “Because I’m starving.” 

“Dude, you read my mind.” She heard her stomach growl, forgetting to eat before she left the house. 

“What are we hungry for?” 

“I think you know what we’re hungry for.” she grinned, glancing up at her brother. 

“Try me.” The smile on his face was genuine and bright. 

“We each have our own large pizza, extra cheese, pepperoni, yours would have sausage on it, with two orders of french fries.” 

“Arceus, you read my fucking mind.” They fist bumped, laughing. “Then we’ll get that and take it back to the house.” 

“Yeeeeees, food.” She fist bumped the air, doing a happy shimmy. 

“Sweet, so that’s settled. So I’m just working in the morning tomorrow, if you wanted to do something after.” 

“Oh um, I actually have a date at 12 tomorrow afternoon.” she nervously admitted, rubbing the back of her head. 

Raihan blinked a few times, not sure if he had heard her correctly. 

“Wow, wow, wow. A date? Already? Damn, you go, sis. You can do better than that piece of shit.” 

“I’m sure it won’t amount to anything… I think he’s just being nice.” 

“Well, whoever he is, he better treat my sister right, or their ass will be handed to them. Do I know this guy?” 

“Honestly, I’m not quite sure.” she shrugged, honestly not sure. 

“He gotta a name?” He interrogated. 

“It’s secret.” Vivienne smugly grinned, satisfied with dramatic groan that came from her brother. He hated not knowing things. 

“Come on, Viiiiiiiv. You gotta tell me.” 

“No because you’ll stalk him on social media and send him messages, threatening him. You did that with Everett and my first boyfriend.” 

“Okay, okay, fair. But I want to know.” 

“Maybe you will one day.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I made myself cry again because I have a lot of feelings for Draken and Raihan and just all the things. I feel like I'm writing a mix of a Shakespearean Comedy and Tragedy.


	4. To Date or Not To Date, That...Is The Question

Chapter Four

Vivenne had no idea what she was doing. She stared at herself in the mirror, playing with her hair. She hadn’t been on a date in so long. She pulled her shorts down, feeling self conscious about her thighs. She thought about changing but looked at the time seeing she had to leave in a couple minutes. She huffed, blowing her thin bangs out of her face as she shrugged her yukata on. Vivienne turned to admire the Gyrados on the back of it and smiled. She would have to take her Gyrados and the others out some time after her date with Leon. Three had never set foot on Galar soil before. She quickly sat on the bed and put her socks and hightops on before grabbing her bag. She took a quick glance at her hat, deciding to leave it behind, hurrying out the door. 

The Battle Cafe wasn’t far from the Vault and the estate. She almost didn’t recognize Leon standing there, his hair tied up in a messy bun. He wasn’t even in his normal uniform she saw him in. He had on a dark red tshirt, black jacket, and a nice pair of black joggers with black and white high tops. Vivienne froze and stared at him. 

_ Oh Arceus… he’s hotter in normal clothes… I’d fucking tap that. Shit. Fuck. Abort mission. Abort, abort. He’s waaaaay too hot for you.  _

She went to turn around at the same time Leon looked over and saw her. 

“Hey, Vivienne.” 

Vivienne was internally screaming. She turned back around quickly and waved cutely, rubbing the back of her head. She laughed nervously, stepping up to him. 

“Hiiii, Leon. It’s me. Vivienne… that’s me. Hi.” 

She went to lean against a lamp post and missed completely, stumbling forward a bit. Leon reached out and grabbed her arms gently, steadying her. Vivienne lifted her head and met his eyes, a blush creeping onto her face. He just smiled at her, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. 

“You really need to stop falling for me this way.” He teased, chuckling. “What if I’m not there to catch you next time?” 

She stood up straight, running a hand through her hair, feeling how hot her cheeks were. 

“I’m terribly sorry… I’m not usually this clumsy… You seem to have that effect on me.” 

“Well, maybe I can make it up to you by buying you a coffee.” 

He grabbed the handle to the door and opened it, letting her go first. She blushed and stepped into the cafe, mumbling a thank you as she walked by. Leon followed her inside and they both stood there, looking up at the menu. They were comfortably quiet for a moment. 

“You don’t have to buy me coffee.” She shyly rubbed her arm. 

After a couple years of basically fending for herself, someone treating her while they were out was such a foreign concept. Leon shrugged, his hands shoved in his jacket pockets. 

“It’s no trouble whatsoever. If it would make you feel better, maybe we can switch it up next time.” 

“Oh, you think there’s going to be a next time?” She couldn’t hide the grin on her lips when she saw his face flush. He rubbed the back of his head, flinching at his words. 

“Well, I uh… My friends told me to be confident. I’m afraid that was a bit too bold. I apologize…” 

“Hm, your friends are right. You should be confident. I certainly hope there’s a next time.” 

Leon’s head perked up. She smirked proudly. They ordered their coffee and Leon paid before they sat down at one of the tables. They sat opposite from one another, Leon leaning his arms on the table, Vivienne leaning back in her chair, stretching her legs out to comfortably sit there. Leon glanced down at her arm, noticing part of a tattoo snaking up her arm, disappearing under her sleeve, the head of the pokemon ending midway up her neck. 

“What’s the pokemon on your arm?” He inquired as the barista came around and placed their coffees down on the table. 

Vivienne glanced down at her right arm and smiled, shrugging off the yukata on that side to show the entire tattoo. 

“Oh that is the legendary pokemon Rayquaza. My mother was part of the Draconid tribe in the Hoenn Region and they worship Rayquaza as their lord.” 

“Really? I did not know that. Are you from Hoenn?” 

“Oh no, I was born here. My dad and I moved to Hoenn a few years ago after my mom passed.” 

Leon’s face softened. 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” 

Vivienne smiled softly, shrugging her sleeve back on. 

“You don’t have to be sorry… I’ll be reunited with her one day. She was very sick, but now she’s not suffering anymore.” 

They fell silent for a moment, taking sips from their drinks. 

_ Arceus, I hope I didn’t ruin the date by bringing up dead mom…  _ Leon thought to himself, trying to think of a way to lighten the mood again. Vivienne smiled but he could see how sad her eyes were. 

“You have any other tattoos?” 

She took a sip before nodding excitedly. She placed her cup down, standing up. 

“Oh hell yeah I do.” 

She put out her left leg, showing him the Dragonair wrapping around her calf up to her thigh. Leon admired the pokemon, having never seen a pokemon like that before. 

“I have a Dragonair on my leg. Another one of my favorite Dragon Pokemon.”

His eyes lingered far too long on her thighs, but she hadn’t noticed and was sitting down again, showing the next one, lifting up her left arm showing her wrist. 

“Then here, I have a tattoo that represents the four people in my family: my mother, father, my brother, then me and in the middle is my family’s coat of arms. Then on my bicep,” She pulled her left sleeve down, showing another tattoo wrapping around her bicep. “Then this one is my family’s motto in draconic.” 

“Wow, you really like dragons.” Leon was impressed with the amount of ink she had and was distracted by how toned her arms were. 

_ She could definitely kick my ass with arms and legs like that… You already got it bad, dude. _

Vivienne shrugged, slipping her arm back into its sleeve. His eyes flicked back to her wrist tattoo and swore he’d seen that tattoo somewhere else before. 

“Dragons are kind of my family’s thing. Has been for centuries. But yeah, I have others too.” 

“Oh? Where at?” He raised an eyebrow, surprised that she had more. 

A smirk crept onto her lips as she crossed her legs, picking up her cup. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know, stud.” She sipped at her coffee, trying to hide the fact she was dying inside. 

_ DID YOU JUST- DID YOU JUST FUCKING SAY THAT? _

_ Fuck, fuck, fuck. She’s got more tattoos…  _

“So uh,” she cleared her throat, feeling it drying up from her nerves. “You have any tattoos?” 

“I do actually.” He admitted. 

Vivienne’s eyes widened, honestly not expecting him to say yes. She couldn’t see any visible tattoos. 

“Where at?” 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Leon smirked, using her words against her. Her mouth dropped, Leon laughing at her reaction. “Nah, I’ll tell you.” He partially shrugged off his jacket, pushing up the sleeve of his t-shirt to show a flame tattoo wrapping around his bicep. “I have this one, I know, basic as fuck. You don’t have to tell me. My friends already get on my ass about it.” He fixed his sleeves. “Then on my ribs, I have the Charmander evolutions in traditional Alolan art style, but I can’t show you that one. It would require me to take my shirt off.” 

_ I wouldn’t mind that one bit, sir. Rude.  _

“You must really love Charmander.” She giggled, liking his tattoos and how fit he was. 

“Oh Arceus, I do. I love my Charizard so much. He’s a good boy, and my best friend.” 

Vivienne smiled brightly at how he perked up at the mention of his Charizard. It was so endearing and sweet. It warmed her heart seeing how happy he was, especially for his love of pokemon. She wanted to make him happy, for some reason. His smile lit up the entire room, and Vivienne wanted to protect that smile so that it never went away. 

“Awe, that’s so sweet! How long have you been friends?” She leaned forward and placed her elbows on the table, sipping her coffee and attentively looked into his eyes. 

“Since I was nine. My dad worked in the Kanto region a lot, and brought one home for me for my birthday.”

“Wow, that’s one awesome gift. Your dad must be a pretty swell guy.” 

_ Did you just use swell in a sentence…? Who says that anymore?  _ Vivienne wished her mind would shut up for five seconds.

Leon’s face fell as he stared down at his cup, tapping it with his fingers. Her expression softened, noticing his smile disappear. She reached to touch his hand, but stopped, hesitating, before placing it on the table.

“Yeah...I guess he’s alright…” He mumbled softly. 

“I’m sorry if I-” 

“Oh no no no, you didn’t do anything.” He reassured her, lifting his head up, faking a smile. “He’s just never around much. My mom basically raised me and my little brother by herself.” 

“Oof… Distant dad squad.” 

Vivienne held her fist out. Leon fist bumped her, laughing faintly. A soft, genuine grin lined his lips as he glanced over at her. Her smile was small and shy and reassuring. As cliche as it may have sounded, Leon thought she was different from other girls he had dated. She never once acknowledged him being the champion, though she had been there two different times he was addressed as such. She didn’t act fake around him. She was just being herself. They sat and enjoyed more of their coffee, Vivienne looking around, people watching. 

“So what made you come back to Galar, if it’s okay I ask?” Leon moved the conversation along. 

“Oh, um, do you want the candy-coated truth or the honest truth? I don’t want to break the golden rule of first dates.” 

“The golden rule of first dates?” He raised an eyebrow, humored by her choice of words. “And what is that?” 

“You don’t talk about your exes on a first date.” She answered, running a hand through her hair. 

“Ah, I see. I mean you can tell me whatever version you want. I’ll just sit and listen, no matter what.” 

Vivienne perked up, tilting her head in confusion. A guy actually listening to her? What a concept that was. She thought long and hard, coming to a decision. 

“My boyfriend cheated on me, and I just wanted to come home and away from all the bull shit I went through there.” 

“Well, shit.” He couldn’t get over someone cheating on someone like her. “Fuck that guy.” 

“Fuck that guy, but also… I don’t want to fuck that guy again…” 

They made eye contact and burst out laughing, causing some of the other patrons to glare disgruntledly their way. They both covered their mouths, muffling their laughter into their hands. Leon rubbed the back of his head, smiling brightly at Vivienne. She returned the smile, then it faded as her thoughts began to cause her to spiral. The date seemed like it was going too well, and it scared her. It scared her that she may end up liking this guy and he may end up breaking her heart too. 

“Vivienne, are you alright?” 

“I uh-look, um, I don’t want to lead you on or anything, but I literally just dumped my boyfriend a few days ago, and I’m just- there’s just a lot of issues I have, and I don’t know if this- I don’t know if I can do this because-”

“Because you’re scared?” He finished, remaining calm. The surprise on her face made him chuckle. 

“How did you-” 

“Because I’m scared, too. Horrified actually. I’m surprised you haven’t seen me shaking the entire time.” 

“You’re scared?” 

Vivienne couldn’t believe that someone who had such an air of confidence when he walked into a room would be scared of a date. Just looking at him, you wouldn’t think he’d have any trouble with his good looks and personality. 

“Fuck yeah I’m scared. It’s been two years since my ex broke up with me, and honestly, I’ve had shit luck with women over the past two years. So the fact that you even agreed to go on a date with me, and that I’m enjoying my time with you, is kind of a miracle, if I’m completely honest…” 

Vivienne just blinked at him, never thinking for a second any woman would treat this man like shit. He was a huge ass dork. 

“You enjoy talking to me…?” She was absolutely dumbfounded by his words. 

“Well, yeah.” He finished his coffee and stood up. She watched him. “You coming?” 

“You still want- where are we going?” 

“You think the date is over? I believe I recall you saying you enjoyed coffee and walks.” The overwhelming feeling of fear and joy took control of her body at that moment. She sat there, speechless, surprised he even remembered that from yesterday. “We can be scared together and see where it goes. Sound fair?” 

Leon extended his hand out to her. She glanced up at him, then his hand, thinking. 

_ Just see where it goes. You can’t be scared that every guy is going to be like Everett.  _

She finished her drink and shyly took his hand, standing up. It almost felt like a jolt when up their arms when their hands touched. His hand felt right in her hand. He smiled up at her and walked towards the door, both throwing their cups out on the way. He held the door for her and walked out close behind. He thought about letting go of her hand, but she held on a little tighter, walking closer to him. He was beginning to think he wasn’t cursed afterall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, fics are easier to write when you don't have a love triangle going on. OOF. I hope you like the fluffy chapter!!!


	5. When I Saw You

Chapter Five

Leon and Vivienne walked along the old cobblestoned streets away from the cafe. Vivienne was still holding onto his hand as they changed the topic from before. He was honestly glad she didn’t let go because he was trying his hardest to stop shaking. Leon was never this nervous. He glanced up at her and she had her head down, pulling her hair behind her ear. 

_ Wow… she’s beautiful…  _

“You have a little brother?” Her voice startled him for a second having gotten lost in his thoughts.

“Oh uh, yeah, I do. He just turned thirteen a few days ago.” 

“Awe! I hope he had a nice birthday.” 

Leon couldn’t stop smiling from her enthusiasm and kindness. 

“I think he did. I got to spend the day with him and mum.” He smiled lightly. “You said you have a brother too?”

“I do! He’s a year older, though. He’s probably your age.”

“Twenty with far too many responsibilities?” Leon joked. 

“Wow. It’s like we’re on the safe wavelength.” She laughed. “Yeah, he’s twenty with way too many responsibilities.” 

“It do be like that sometimes.” Leon admitted, Vivienne snorting, covering her mouth. 

“‘It do be like that sometimes…’ That’s amazing. That is the realest shit ever said.” 

“Thank you, thank you. I try.” He jokingly bowed his head, placing his hand over her chest. This made Vivienne laugh more. Her laugh was loud but melodious. She covered half her face with her hand as she laughed. 

“You’re dramatic as fuck. I love it.” 

“I uh- um- thank you.” His ears felt hot, rubbing his neck.

Vivienne glanced over her shoulder and noticed a small blur hide behind a post. She raised an eyebrow then faced forward, seeing something. Her face lit up as she pulled him along and stopped, pointing up. 

“Look up.” 

Leon curiously looked up, only seeing only the surrounding wall around the castle. 

“The castle wall?” 

Vivienne shook her head and stood closer to him, letting go of his hand, resting it gently on his shoulder. She pointed at one of the openings. Her face was close to his and he could feel himself holding his breath.

“No, no. That.” 

Leon finally saw what she was referring too. Though faint and weatherworned over the years, there appeared to be the face of Arceus engraved in the stone. Leon had probably walked past this wall hundreds of times and he had never seen it before. 

“During the eleventh century, before King Malcolm was crowned, there was a battle between MacDuff and King MacFuckFace and this entire wall was destroyed and later rebuilt. Malcolm believed Arceus came to him in a dream the night before battle and assured him that MacDuff’s army would prevail as victors and Malcolm would be crowned sovereign of Galar. So he had the masons discreetly add that to the new wall only for him to know about and see.” 

Leon stared at Vivienne, amazed by how knowledgeable she was in history. He had never known that bit of history, and he didn’t recall Raihan ever saying anything about it before. She just smiled up at the wall, admiring it. That smile… He couldn’t get over her smile. All she had to do was smile to make the Butterfrees in his stomach act up. She turned her head and caught him staring at her with soft eyes and a smile. Their faces were close. 

“Oh um… I’m sorry… I hope I didn’t bore you with-” 

“You didn’t.” He reassured her. “I wanted to hear more.” 

“Y-yeah?” Her smile brightened, exposing her sharp canines. Leon nodded, keeping eye contact with her. 

“Of course I do. My best friend goes on about history all the time.” 

“Well, I-” Vivienne caught sight of a small boy hiding behind the corner of the wall, peeking his head out. She smiled in the direction of the boy. “Don’t look… but I believe someone is following us. 

Leon turned his head in the direction she was facing and saw the little boy gasp and quickly pull his head behind the wall. 

“Come out, sweetheart, it’s alright.” Her voice was soft as she spoke to the child. He hesitantly poked his head out and approached them, wringing his hands nervously. Vivienne crouched down and got onto his level, smiling kindly at him to show he wasn’t in trouble. “Was that you who hid behind the post a bit ago?” 

He nodded slowly, lowering his head. 

“Y-yes, miss…” 

“Oi, chin up, mate. You’re not in trouble. What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“M-Michael, miss.” 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Michael. I’m Viv. Did you need something? Are you lost?” 

“Nice to meet you...I-I-I’m a b-big fan of Leon, and when I saw him I-I wanted to ask if he’d sign m-my Leon card…” He nervously stammered. 

“Why not ask him yourself?” 

Michael began to speak when his mother ran over and crouched down, checking on him to see if he was alright. Vivienne stood up. 

“Michael, I told you not to leave my side. How many times must I tell you?” The mother stood up and turned to Vivienne and Leon. “I’m so sorry if my son-” Her eyes widened as she realized who she was standing before. “O-oh. You’re Champion Leon… I’m so sorry-” 

“It’s really no trouble, ma’am.” He smiled brightly, crouching down. He pulled a sharpie out of his pocket. Michael’s face was beaming as he pulled his Charizard and Leon card out of his backpack. He handed it to him with shaky hands. “So Michael, do you like Pokemon?” He spoke as he wrote. 

“Oh yes, sir, I do. I want to be a great trainer like you one day and take care of all the pokemon.” He was excited. 

“Well, Michael, I hope I get the chance to battle you and see you form a strong bond with your pokemon one day.” Leon put the cap back on his sharpie and handed back the card to the boy. Leon stood up, folding his arms across his chest. “Think you got what it takes to become a strong Pokemon Trainer?” 

Vivienne watched the entire interaction and felt her heart melting from how sweet and kind Leon spoke to the child. He was genuine and didn’t make Michael feel like he was bothering him. He respected him and reassured him, and it was enough to make Vivienne like him more. 

“Oh yes! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Michael nodded excitedly and then stared down at the card. He hesitated for a moment before looking at Leon again. He was almost embarrassed to ask him. “Um… do you think… do you think you could do the Charizard Pose…?” 

“Well, I uh-” Leon blushed, rubbing his neck as he turned to look at Vivienne. 

“Now, Michael, I’m sure Champion Leon has other things to do.” His mother warned him gently. 

“Charizard Pose?” The three looked at Vivienne. She smiled softly, tilting her head. “I think I would love to see that.” 

“Really…?” Leon asked, seeing her nod, then tilt her head towards Michael. He smiled and sighed, turning towards the boy. “Alright, but I think I may need a friend to help me out.” 

Michael gasped as Leon grabbed his Ultra Ball, releasing Charizard. The small boy clapped excitedly. 

“Hey, buddy.” Leon greeted his Charizard, stroking his neck. “You think we can do a quick Charizard Pose for our new friend, Michael?” 

Charizard huffed and nodded, smiling down at Leon. Leon glanced at Vivienne before doing his famous pose with Charizard. Vivienne felt her cheeks hurt from how much she was smiling seeing how excited Michael was over this. The Charizard Pose was probably the cutest thing she had ever witnessed. Michael’s whole body was trembling in excitement, he ran up and hugged Leon tightly. Leon was surprised and smiled softly down at the boy, stroking the top of his head. 

“Thank you so much!” He pulled away and stared up at Leon. “I’m going to become a strong trainer one day! Don’t you worry!” 

“Come on, Michael. We have to finish our errands.” She turned to Leon and smiled warmly. “Thank you so much for doing that… You really made his entire week better…” 

Michael skipped over to his mother and held her hand, turning back and waving at Vivienne. 

“Bye, Viv! I hope I see you again!” 

Vivienne waved back as the mother and child walked away. 

“See ya, Michael.” 

She turned her attention to Leon and just stared at him in awe. She was actually speechless over how good he was with Michael. Leon felt her eyes on him, and she could tell his cheeks were red. 

“W-what?” He stammered, rubbing his neck. 

“You are so good with kids.” She managed to get out. “Wow, you keep getting all the points: can remember things, dorky, a good listener, good with kids? Wow, you’re on a roll.” 

“Oh uh…” He laughed nervously. “Thanks.” 

Charizard tilted his head and grunted, staring at Vivienne. Vivienne’s eyes lit up seeing the Fire-Type Pokemon. She slowly approached him, putting her hand out. 

“Why, hello there, handsome…” she cooed softly, Charizard perking up at her words. The pokemon nuzzled its head against her hand as she reached up and stroked the side of his neck. “Oh my goodness, what a good, handsome boy you are. Yeah, who’s a good boy?” 

She scratched behind its ear, its leg shaking a little, tilting his head contently. Leon could not believe his eyes at how Charizard was reacting to her. Charizard licked the side of her face, giggles coming from Vivienne as she wiped her face. 

“Charizard likes you.” He chuckled as she continued to stroke its neck. 

“Really? Well, I like Charizard, too.” She petted him on the head before stepping back over to Leon. 

Leon held up his Ultra Ball and smiled at the pokemon. 

“Thanks, bud. Return for now.” The Pokemon went back into the ball, Leon placing it back on his belt. 

“That was so sweet what you did for Michael…” 

They continued walking down the street, her hand brushing against his, feeling that jolt shoot up her arm again. 

“It-it was nothing…” he mumbled, clearly embarrassed and shy over the compliment. 

“That wasn’t nothing… that was something. You made his day. You inspired him. That’s amazing.” 

“I just want to make sure Galar is the strongest region out there and inspire people that anyone can be strong.” He admitted, his eyes flicking down to their hands. He carefully held her hand again, feeling more confident this time. 

Vivienne listened to him and could still not understand how someone this amazing and kind was on a date with her right now. She could tell he had some baggage from things mentioned earlier, but he was so strong and persevered through it all, putting on a smile and a brave face. She admired that. She almost envied that sort of bravery and strength. 

“You’re brilliant.” 

They continued walking for another hour or so, talking about whatever at that point or just enjoying each other’s company in silence. They ended up at the train station when it was time for Leon to leave. They stood there for a moment in silence. Leon was the first one to speak. 

“Well, I guess I’ll see you again, maybe?” 

“I sure hope so… who is going to catch me when I fall?” She teased, grinning. 

“Would you- like to do this again sometime?” 

Vivienne could hear the tiny voice of Everett’s coming back, but she pushed it to the back of her mind, nodding her head slowly. 

“I would.” She answered as she played with her hair nervous. 

Leon’s face was bright as he took her hand gently, lifting it to his lips, pressing his lips lightly against her knuckle. Vivienne felt herself shrink and felt her whole body shutting down from his romantic gesture. She flashed him a smile as he lightly brought her hand back down to her side. Vivienne leaned over and quickly kissed him on the cheek, feeling how warm his face was. 

“Text me when you get home, safe, alright?” She stepped away from him, pulling her hair behind her ear. 

“I will.” He waved at her as he started heading into the station. He looked back and smiled brightly, bumping into someone. “Oh, sorry, ma’am… sorry, sorry.” 

Vivienne covered her mouth as she snorted, Leon leaning against the wall, covering his face with his hands. He slowly brought his hands from his face, flashing her a small, embarrassed grin as he stood up straight and disappeared into the station. Vivienne sighed and twirled around once, giggling, never having reacted this way towards a guy before. She headed home with a pep in her step. 

Vivienne got home and found Raihan lying on the couch with his arm behind his head, watching TV. She put her bag on the table and leaned against the wall. Raihan glanced up and saw her smiling, dazed face staring into space. 

“Hey, weeb. How did the date go?” 

“It went really well, actually…” she said in a daze, brushing her fingers over her knuckles Leon had kissed. 

“That’s… wow, that’s great. I mean you seem really happy about it.” 

“I do…? Yes… Yes, I am actually…” 

“You going to see Mystery Dude again?” Raihan popped a piece of popcorn in his mouth. 

“Yeah, I think so.” 

The idea that someone, other than her family and small group of friends, could make her this happy amazed her. It was almost too good to be true; a dream she never wanted to wake up from. It was such a chill date with no faking smiles or people ignoring her. She couldn’t wait to see Leon again. 

“I guess you’re still not going to tell me his name, huh?” 

Vivienne smirked and Raihan groaned. 

“Now what would be the fun in giving you what you want? I don’t want to jinx it.” 

“You’re so superstitious…” he grumbled, turning his attention back to the show on television. 

“I waaas going to show you my Dragon Pokemon, buuuut, if you’re just going to pout, I’ll just go out by myself.” 

Raihan sat up in a blur, turning the television off. 

“I’m not pouting! Show me the Dragon babies.” 

Vivienne chuckled as they both hurried out the kitchen door into the yard. The house was pretty isolated on the castle grounds so no one would see what was going on. She grabbed only three out of the six pokeballs she had at that moment, releasing two of them. Raihan had stars in his eyes as he saw the two new species of Pokemon he had only seen in photos. The Salamence shook its head, flapping its wings once, releasing a soft roar as a greeting. Dragonair gracefully floated around before coiling itself on the ground, its call musical and soft. Raihan approached the Salamence first with both his hands up. Salamence growled lightly, not sure how to feel about the new person in front of him. He relaxed when Raihan stopped in front of him, his neck getting stroked gently. It nuzzled its head against Raihan’s chest. Raihan was impressed with this magnificent creature. When he approached the Dragonair, she greeted him in a more friendly and playful fashion, swirling in the air around him before coiling herself around him protectively, nuzzling her face against the side of his. Raihan laughed and rested the hand on the side of her face, stroking it gently. Her skin was smooth and almost felt like he was grazing his fingers over the surface of water. 

Vivienne stood and watched, seeing how happy Raihan was seeing and interacting with her Dragon babies. She gripped the third ball in her hand, glancing down at it. She knew her brother was going to flip out with the last newbie he was getting to see first hand. 

“You’re going to love this next one, but you can’t tell anyone. Promise?” 

Raihan furrowed his eyebrows curiously, nodding. Vivienne grinned and threw the ball up in the air, releasing the Pokemon. Raihan’s jaw dropped as a large shadow of the pokemon towered over him. It released a cry as it floated in the air above them. 

“Ho...ly… fucking...shit.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *throws fluff at all of you* I told you all I would treat Leon better in this fan fic. I kept my word. 
> 
> Also, can like kissing of the hand be brought back as a romantic gesture because I'm a huge romantic slut for that shit.
> 
> Also, can you guess what Shakespeare Easter Egg I threw into this chapter? XD It's kind of a mixture of two plays. Ehehehe


	6. Rising Hope

Chapter Six

_ “Vivienne… Vivienne, sweetheart, it’s time to wake up.”  _

_ Vivienne grumbled in her sleep, rolling over, hugging her Lucario plushie. She was eleven, and it was a Saturday. Her dad shook her arm gently, sitting on the edge of her bed. One of her eyes opened, peeking over her shoulder at her dad. Draken smiled lovingly down at her, already dressed for the day. Vivienne rubbed her eye sleepily, her hair all over the place.  _

_ “Five more minutes, daddy…” she mumbled sleepily.  _

_ “Not today, sweetheart. It’s training day.”  _

_ Vivienne sat up suddenly, her eyes more awake now. She almost forgot that it was training day.  _

_ “I’ll get dressed!” she exclaimed, throwing the blankets off and hopping out of bed.  _

_ Draken chuckled at her enthusiasm and stood up.  _

_ “I’ll get your brother.”  _

_ Training days were always something Vivienne looked forward to. It was normally just her, Raihan, and their father. Her mother would sometimes come along. They headed out after breakfast and headed for the stadium. Vivienne skipped happily beside her father while Raihan, twelve, had his hands in his sweatshirt pockets with a hard and glum look on his face. They got to the gym and began training. Vivienne would always battle Raihan. Raihan was usually confident and energetic when he battled, but that day, he was off. He was angry and frustrated more than normal. His second Gym Challenge season was over, and he still couldn’t beat the Champion, a kid the same age as him. He wasn’t focused, and it got to the point their father had to stop the battle because Raihan fell to his knees. Vivienne started walking towards Raihan to check on him, but her father raised his hand for her to stop. _

_ Arcanine trotted over to Vivienne and laid beside her. Vivienne sat in between its front legs and leaned back against its chest, its head resting on top of hers. Raihan’s Flygon flew around him before landing, nuzzling its head against Raihan’s. Raihan didn’t move. Draken stood there, towering over his son, sighing softly.  _

_ “What’s wrong, Raihan?” He calmly inquired, keeping his voice leveled.  _

_ “I let you down…” Raihan mumbled defeatedly, staring down at his hands.  _

_ “Let me down? When did you let me down?” Draken raised an eyebrow, crouching down in front of him.  _

_ “With the Finals…I lost again…”  _

_ “Well, yes, you lost, but I don’t recall ever telling you that you let me down.” Draken tilted his head.  _

_ “I feel like I did… people were saying how embarrassing it must be for you to have a loser of a son like me…”  _

_ Vivienne could see her father tense at that. She saw his fists clench slowly. His voice remained calm, however.  _

_ “Well, I don’t see these people making it to the finals two years in a row. Raihan, that is an accomplishment in itself.” Draken rested a hand on his shoulder. Raihan shrugged it off, clenching his eyes shut.  _

_ Raihan was always hard on himself when it came to battles. He wanted to prove that he could be the strongest trainer out there. He never realized how much Vivienne looked up to him.  _

_ “That doesn’t matter. I can’t beat Leon. I’ll never be able to beat him.”  _

_ “Certainly not with that attitude.” Draken assured him, standing up. “Now stand up. We do not show our opponent our frustration and emotions during battle. You never give them the satisfaction that you’re cornered or excited or broken up about defeat. You wait until you’re in the locker room or home to express your emotions. It’s alright to be upset and have emotions, Rai, but you need to make sure your emotions do not cloud your judgement when you need to be focused.”  _

_ “Y-yes, sir…” Raihan slowly stood up, looking down at the ground still.  _

_ “I have never been more proud of you, and if anyone tries to say that to you again, I’ll put an end to it. You understand?” Raihan nodded, glancing up at his father sheepishly. Draken hugged him and rubbed his back before pulling away, turning to Vivienne. “Alright, princess, we can- huh?” He chuckled as Vivienne and Arcanine were half asleep on the field. Draken placed his hands on his hips and peered down at Raihan, smiling. “I think we lost your battle partner, bud.”  _

Vivienne’s eyes fluttered open, her dream ending. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and rolled over, hugging her pillow. She closed her eyes and blindly tried to find her phone. A few failed attempts later, her Rotom phone chirped at her and flew gently into her hand. She smiled sleepily. 

“Thanks, Rotom…” she mumbled as she checked what time it was. 

The clock said 11:45am. She groaned, burying her face into her pillow. She hated sleeping in late, but last night she was tossing and turning the entire night after Raihan made her watch a creepy ass movie. Vivienne eyed her screen again and saw she had a missed message. She opened it, a smile creeping on her face when she saw it was from Leon. He had sent it at 8:35am.

**_Leon💫:_ ** _ Good morning, beautiful. 😊 You’re probably not awake yet, but I hope you have a great day. I’m in Hammerlocke today to hang out with my friend if you wanted to meet up later tonight.  _

Vivienne smiled brightly at her phone, brushing her hair out of her face. She felt her cheeks burn. It had been almost a month since they went on their first date. They tried to get together whenever his schedule wasn’t crazy from the Gym Challenge season beginning in a week and a half. He always managed to send her a good morning text each morning, and this was the first time he called her beautiful over text. Her face dropped at a memory. 

_ Vivienne stared at herself in the mirror, dressed in a nice suit for a history presentation she was giving at the museum. She smiled proudly at herself, smoothing out her jacket. She had on her favorite pair of heels and was feeling confident about her outfit. She grabbed her satchel bag and stepped out of the room she shared with Everett. He was sitting at the table, reading papers. She walked up to the table and smiled at him, tilting her head to the side, smiling.  _

_ “How do I look, baby?” She asked cutely, brushing off her pants.  _

_ Everett glanced at her then back at his papers.  _

_ “Why are you dressed like a guy?” He grumbled, flipping the paper.  _

_ Her smile began to droop but she shook it off and tried to keep smiling.  _

_ “I like suits. They’re more comfortable.” She answered. “I think I look beautiful.”  _

_ Everett scoffed and put his papers back into the folder.  _

_ “Beautiful?” He stood up and had to crane his head up to look at her. “You look like a giant freak right now. Why are you even wearing heels? You’re over six foot. No one’s going to take you seriously.” He patted her on the ass as he walked into the kitchen. Vivienne stood there, her smile gone entirely. She rubbed her arm, feeling her chest tighten. “But good luck with your presentation, babe. I’m sure you’ll do great.”  _

_ “Th-thanks…” Vivienne headed toward the door and stopped. “I love you.”  _

_ “Yeah, you too.” Everett boredly responded, rummaging through the cabinet, not giving her a second glance.  _

_ Vivienne walked out of the door and closed it behind her, wiping her tears away carefully so she wouldn’t mess up her makeup, and walked in the direction of the museum.  _

Vivienne shook her head at the memory and looked back at the message. 

_ Leon isn’t Everett… Leon isn’t Everett…  _ She reminded herself as she responded to his message.

**_Vivienne🐉:_ ** _ Good morning, handsome. 😊I just woke up. 😓 I’m free tonight! I hope you have a wonderful day, too.  _

He responded in a couple minutes.

**_Leon💫:_ ** _ Then I’ll see you later. 😊 _

**_Vivienne🐉:_ ** _ Don’t miss me too much until then 😜 _

**_Leon💫:_ ** _ Oh man, you’re asking a lot of me. How will I ever get through my day? 😜 _

**_Vivienne🐉:_ ** _ Guess you’re just going to have to deal with it until you see me. 😏😆 (PS. I require hugs on this date.) _

**_Leon💫:_ ** _ Now she’s making demands. Wooooow. 😜😲😂 I’ll see if I can arrange something to make this request happen. 😘 _

**_Vivienne🐉:_ ** _ Oh please do. I don’t think I can get through the date without one. 😩😘 _

**_Leon💫:_ ** _ Wow and you say I’m dramatic. 😜 Okay, my friend is telling me to get off my phone because he can’t stand not getting attention for five seconds. I’ll see you later, Viv. 😊 _

**_Vivienne🐉:_ ** _ Oh no, can’t get you in trouble. 😜 I’ll see you tonight, sunshine. 😊 _

Vivienne put her phone on the table and threw the covers off. She was just in a baggy t-shirt and her boyshorts. She stood up and headed for her door, hearing voices out in the living room. 

_ Raihan must have someone over.  _

Opening the door, she went to say good morning to Raihan when she froze, seeing who was there. Raihan was laying on the couch with a controller in his hand and who other than Leon sitting in the chair with his back to her, playing the game as well. She gasped and quickly slammed the door shut. Leon raised his head and looked around before staring back at the screen. 

“What was that?” 

“Probably just my sister.” Raihan didn’t tear his eyes away from the screen. 

“I still have yet to see this sister of yours.” Leon groaned when Raihan beat his team again. 

“Ha! And you will soon. I’m going to see if she’ll come to the rugby match.” He started another game. “When am I going to meet Mystery Girl you keep messaging during bro time?”

“When I’m ready to. I’m not going to jinx it.” 

“Come ooon, you’re keeping me in the dark. I wanna knoooow. You’re happier than usual.” 

“I-I am?” Leon’s face flushed as he rubbed his neck. 

“Duh. Anyone can see that. Just make sure you respect her, hold her hand, girls love food, and always use protection. I don’t think Hop wants to be an uncle yet.” 

“Sweet Arceus… thanks oh wise one.” The sarcasm was dripping off his tongue. 

“You are so welcome. Any time. Just be glad I don’t charge you for my advice.” 

Leon cursed and tossed the remote down into his lap as Raihan won again. Raihan threw his hands in the air. 

“Victory!!!” 

“Damn… how do you always beat me at video games…?” Leon grumbled. 

Vivienne slammed the door shut and leaned against the door, eyes wide open. Leon was Raihan’s friend. How could she not see that? How could she not know that? She could not let him see her. Raihan would flip shit. Her stomach grumbled and she cursed, putting her hand over her stomach. She hadn’t eaten since dinner last night. 

_ I can just… wait it out… I’ll just stay in here, and then when he leaves, I’ll get food. _

Her stomach gurgled again and she groaned. She had to go out there and get food or she wasn’t going to be able to function. She pulled her sweatpants off the end of the bed and threw them on in a hurry, stumbling and almost falling flat on her face. Throwing on her sweatshirt, she put the hood up and shoved all her hair into it before drawing the drawstrings tight, covering her face. She felt ridiculous. She shoved her Rotom Phone into her pocket and took a deep breath before walking out of her room. She tried to quietly make her way into the kitchen without being noticed, but her brother had sharp ears and turned his head to face her. 

“Oi, morning, sleeping beauty.” Leon glanced over and squenched his eyes a bit seeing how she appeared at the moment. “V, this is Leon, Leon, this is my sister V.” 

Vivienne waved, not saying a word. Leon waved by, a small smile appearing on his lips. 

“Nice to meet you, V.” 

“Why the hell do you have your hoodie on like that?” Raihan looked her over, confused. 

“I uh-” she cleared her voice, altering the sound of her voice. “Just cold.” 

Vivienne quickly walked into the kitchen, trying to find something to eat. Leon and Raihan played for a few more minutes before Leon placed his controller down. 

“I’m going to get a drink. You want me to grab you a water?” 

“Please and thank you.” Raihan continued playing the game as he spoke. 

Leon walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge to grab two water bottles. Vivienne had her back to him as she worked on making herself a salad. She glanced over her shoulder and saw him in the kitchen, swiftly turning her attention back to her salad. Her heart was racing and she could feel the sweat coming down her face. 

_ Fucking shit, it’s hot in this… go back in the room, go back in the room, go back in the room. _

She turned and saw him walk back into the room without acknowledging her. She sighed in relief and finished making her salad and quickly isolated herself back in her room. Leon and Raihan didn’t turn their heads when they heard the door close. 

“Your sister always that sociable?” Leon took a sip of his water. 

“Eh, she’s not the most social when she wakes up.” 

“Must run in the family.” Leon put his hand up as Raihan threw one of the sofa pillows at him, laughing. 

Vivienne sat on a bench in the city, her headphones in her ears, watching her favorite show while she waited for Leon. She managed to sneak out of the house without him seeing her. She laughed at the show when someone walked up to her. She tilted her head up and smiled brightly, pausing her show, seeing Leon there. He smiled down at her with his hands shoved in his pockets. He playfully raised an eyebrow, eyeing her phone screen. 

“Are you watching anime?” 

“Maybe.” She playfully responded, standing up, hugging his waist suddenly. 

Leon was surprised but wrapped his arms around her, his smile beaming. He stroked her hair gently, getting a sigh out of her. Vivienne buried her face into his neck, smiling. He always smelt good and gave the warmest hugs. She pulled away and sat back down on the bench, scooting over for him as she pulled her headphones out of her phone. Leon sat beside her and rested his arm on the back of the bench behind her. 

“Which one are you watching?” He smiled down at her as she scooted closer to him. 

“I’m rewatching Black Butler.” 

“I haven’t watched that in a long time.” 

Vivienne gasped excitedly, resting her hand on his knee. 

“You’ve watched it before?” She stared into his eyes. Leon laughed and smiled, brushing her bangs out of her face. He loved how excited she got over things she liked. 

“I have.” 

“You wanna like… watch it with me?” She made a goofy shy voice and face when she asked. 

“Sure, why not.” 

“Really?” Her jaw went slack, not expecting that answer from him. 

“Yeah!” Leon reassured her, threading his fingers through her hair. 

Shivers went down her body, making her do a little shimmy before getting comfortable, laying her head on his shoulder. She snuggled up to him finding the first episode. 

“Okay! I’ll start at episode one.” 

“Sounds good to me.” Leon wrapped his arm around her, rubbing her arm gently. 

They sat there for a little over an hour, getting through four episodes. Leon would catch himself watching her reactions when she’d get excited or upset over something that was happening. She would occasionally hit his leg if her favorite character did something she liked. It was so wholesome and adorable he could just kiss her. After the fourth episode was done, she closed her phone and snuggled up to him, looking up at him through her eyelashes. He glanced down at her. 

“Hi…” She was shy suddenly. 

“Hi…” He flashed her a toothy smile, making her cheeks flush. 

“Did you like it?” She inquired cutely, sitting up. 

“I did. We’ll have to watch more of it some time.” 

“Really really?” 

“Mhm.” He was distracted by her eyes. He leaned down towards her face when the clock chimed in the city. It was eight o’clock. He would have to be leaving soon. He sighed and smiled sadly down at her. “I have to leave soon…”

Vivienne pouted and hugged his waist, laying her head on his shoulder. 

“Oookay… I don’t want you to leave yet, though…” She mumbled cutely. He chuckled softly. 

“I know… I don’t want to go either… but I have to be up early in the morning…” 

“I know… I don’t want you to get home too late.” 

She sat up and froze seeing how close to his face she was. She glanced between his eyes and lips. Leon noticed and closed the distance, pressing his lips softly against hers. Vivienne’s eyes widened for a split second before they fluttered closed, kissing him back. The kiss was soft. Leon gently rested a hand on her cheek, letting the kiss linger a moment longer before he slowly pulled away, gazing into her eyes. The softest smile formed on her lips as she gazed back into his eyes, her cheeks were rosy. 

“T-text me when you get home…?” Vivienne stammered, her heart threatening to race out of her chest. 

“Y-yeah… I will…” 

Vivienne pecked his lips, lingering for a moment longer before standing up. Leon was dying inside over the fact he kissed her. He stood up and cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his head. 

“Bye, Leon.” she waved at him, unable to stop smiling. 

“B-bye, Vivienne.” He waved back, heading in the direction of the train station. 

Vivienne thought he was far enough away and squealed, fist bumping the air. 

“Yes, Viv! Yes! The dorky beefcake kissed you! Oh my fucking Arceus.” She twirled around once then froze when she saw Leon had come back. He was watching her as he picked up his snapback, putting it on his head. 

“I forgot my hat…” he bit his lip, trying to hide his smile. 

Vivienne covered her face, her ears burning. She peeked out when he stepped up to her and slowly dropped her hands. 

“If I may, the dorky beefcake would like to kiss you once more.”

He brushed her bangs to the side. All she could do was nod shyly. Leon cupped her face tenderly, pressing his lips against hers once more. She smiled against his lips, resting her hands on his chest. They stood like there for a few moments before Leon pulled away, heading back towards the train station, smiling back at her. Vivienne blinked a few times, completely speechless. She slowly turned around and headed home, trying her hardest not to run the entire way. Vivienne could feel herself falling harder for the dork, and she actually thought she was okay with that for a change. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vivienne and Leon are fucking ridiculous. I love them. They are my children. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this one! They had their first kiss!
> 
> You guys also may be getting some Rugby because this is Galar, based of England and Scotland and we're going to have Rugby up in this bitch.


	7. Let's Play Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the sports anime chapter, where I tried my hardest to write Rugby scenes.

Chapter Seven

Every year before the Opening Ceremony of the Gym Challenge season, the Gym Leaders and their trainers would have a fun Rugby match at Wyndon Stadium a few days before. A majority of the Gym leaders were already there, waiting with Leon. The Trainers were talking amongst themselves as the Leaders were mixed together, chatting or just minding their business. Everyone turned their heads when they saw Piers enter, actually in uniform and actually showing up for once. He did a nod to everyone before sitting down on the bench. 

“Wow, Piers, you actually decided to show up this time.” Nessa teased, tossing her hair behind her shoulder. 

Piers shrugged. 

“I show up when I show up. Don’t expect me to be much help. I don’t really do sports.” 

“That’s alright, dearie! It’s just for fun.” Melony laughed, fixing her hair. 

Leon wasn’t focused on what was going on. He sat on the bench, his elbows resting on his thighs as he scrolled through his phone. He hummed softly with a smile on his face. Those close enough heard the humming and saw Leon in a really good mood.

“What’s got you all smiley, mate?” Milo asked in his usual joyful way. 

“Huh?” Leon looked up, rubbing the back of his neck when he realized everyone was staring at him. “Oh uh… nothing, just- excited about rugby.” 

“Nah, I think someone’s got a girlfriend.” Gordie grinned, folding his arms across his chest.

“She’s not my girlfriend.” Leon cursed at himself for even admitting anything.

“That would mean a girl would actually have to stick around.” Nessa mumbled loud enough that the others could hear. Bea smacked her hard in the arm when she saw Leon stare down at the ground. “Ow! Oh- Sorry, Leon…” 

“Damn, Nessa, that was cold, mate.” Piers chirped in. 

“No, no, she’s fine. She has a point.” Leon put his phone down, bending down to fix his shoe laces. 

“Well, I’m sure whoever this person is, Leon will share when he’s ready since, right now, it’s none of your business, dearies.” 

Melony’s stern tone left Nessa and Gordie silent, a small grin forming on Leon’s lips. Melony was strict, but she always stuck up for him when the others cornered him.

“Who are we missing?” Bea changed the topic, looking around. “I think we’re missing the giant.” 

“He should be here shortly.” Leon bent down, tightening his shoe laces. “The train was a few minutes late.” 

“Are my ears burning, or were you guys worrying about us?” That familiar cocky voice brought everyone’s focus on it. 

Raihan was walking in with his three trainers and Vivienne, all wearing their gym uniforms, including Vivienne. Leon finished tying his shoe and looked up, unable to move. Vivienne was standing beside Raihan, and it finally slowly began to click. All the younger guys gawked at Vivienne, their jaws dropping slightly. 

_ Oh no…  _ Leon was already sweating.

“You guys remember my sister, Vivienne.” 

_ Oh no… he’s going to kill me… No, he’s going to fucking burn my body then kill me then feed me to his dragon pokemon. FUCK.  _

“SHUT UP!” Nessa and Bea squealed running over to Vivienne, attacking her with hugs. 

No one had seen the two girls physically do that in front of anyone before. Vivienne smiled brightly and enveloped her old friends in her arms, steadying herself. Being the Gym Leader’s daughter, she had the perks of befriending the other Leader’s kids along the way. Bea and Nessa were her best friends before she left, and they had kept in touch over the years, but this was the first time they’d seen each other in person for a long time. 

“I surprised you, didn’t I?” Vivienne laughed, holding onto her friends tighter. 

“Girl, you’re going to make me cry, and I can’t be doing that right now.” Nessa told her, wiping her eyes quickly. 

“I’m going to kick your ass.” Bea hugged her tighter. “You didn’t tell us you were coming home.”

“Girls, girls, let her breathe.” Melony laughed. “That’s Vivienne??? Oh my word, I can’t believe it. She was a foot shorter last time I saw her.” Melony could not get over how much she had grown since the last time. 

The girls let Vivienne go. She smiled brightly at the older woman. She was another of her father’s close friends when he was the Leader here. Melony was her father’s age. Vivienne would usually sit with their family when they would come to Wyndon for the semi-finals when she was younger. 

“Hello, Miss Melony.” She cheerfully greeted, then she saw Kabu and smiled brightly, hurrying over to him, hugging him tightly. 

Kabu’s face lit up, hugging her back tightly. Kabu rarely smiled, so it was almost a shock to the younger Leaders when they saw him smiling right then. Kabu had and was, still to that day, Draken’s best friend and close family friend. He was the closest thing to an uncle she had at home.

“Uncle Kabu!” 

“Hello, sweetheart!” He laughed as he pulled away, grabbing her arms gently, looking her over. “You joining us today?” 

“Yup! Raihan said there were some people unable to play, so he asked if I wanted to join in on the fun.” 

“Ah so you’ll be on our team against Leon’s.”

“L-Leon?” She stammered then glanced over and saw him.

She swore her heart stopped for a moment. Vivienne had no idea that he was going to be there. 

_ Oh fucking hell… just act cool… Raihan doesn’t know… No one has to know… as long as you both remain calm and don’t say a thing, we’ll be fine. _

“Oh, you two have met already?” Kabu looked between the two, noticing the shocked expressions on their faces. 

“Oh um, yeah… I met him the other day he was hanging out with Raihan…” Vivienne stared into Leon’s eyes, nodding her head lightly, desperately hoping he would go with the lie. 

It took him a moment then he nodded. 

“Yeah, that’s right. We did meet then…” Vivienne inwardly groaned from his lying skills, but it seemed to work on everyone else. 

“Well, now that everyone is here, we can start this match.” Milo smiled brightly, walking out onto his side of the field. 

Raihan fist bumped Leon before patting him on the back. 

“Prepare to lose, bro.” Raihan teased, heading out onto the field. 

Leon and Vivienne began walking out onto the field, not making eye contact with one another. 

“You didn’t tell me Raihan was your brother…” He mumbled under his breath to her so the others wouldn’t hear. 

Vivienne grinned lightly, her eyes flicking down to him. 

“To be fair, you never asked for my brother’s name…” She playfully winked at him, walking over to her position. 

Leon tried his best to not check her out as she walked away, but it was a failed attempt. Her uniform showed off all her curves, and not to mention, her ass looked amazing in those shorts. 

_ I’m so screwed…  _

He cleared his throat and stepped over to his position on the field. Raihan’s team consisted of Vivienne, Kabu, Melony, Camila, Sebastian, Aria, and other Gym Trainers and League Staff. Leon’s team had Gordie, Nessa, Milo, Piers, Bea, and the same amount of Gym Trainers and League Staff as well. Opal sat on the sidelines with Allister, spectating. Raihan’s team had the ball first to kick off. Gordie was opposite of Vivienne on the field, smirking as he got into position. 

“Hey, Viv, I know it’s been a while, but just know, I’m not going to take it easy on you.” 

Vivienne chuckled darkly, tying her medium-length hair back out of her face. She smirked back at him, tilting her head to the side. 

“I don’t expect you to go easy on me, Gordie. I’m not a little girl anymore. Besides, I like it rough.” 

Gordie got flustered, as did a few of the other guys hearing her. Gordie looked over at Raihan, who had a slightly horrified expression on his face, but shrugged, eyeing Gordie. 

“My dude, we have no filters in this family.” He admitted. 

The whistle blew and Kabu kicked the ball into play. Vivienne and Raihan shot off down the field like a bullet. Gordie caught the ball and started running when his eyes widened as Vivienne tackled him to the ground, full force, trying to get the ball out of his hands. She was fast… and stronger. Gordie never saw her coming. She managed to get the ball and threw it back to Raihan. She smirked down at Gordie and patted his face gently. 

“Keep up, love.” She got up, and sprinted down the field. 

“What the  _ fuck? _ ” Gordie mumbled, watching her get up as he hopped up. “Damn…” 

He ran down the field. Raihan threw the ball back to Kabu as Leon and Milo tried to take him down. Kabu then threw it back to Melony. Bea was coming up on Melony fast. Melony grinned and turned, ramming her shoulders and back into Bea, maneuvering around, tossing the ball back to Raihan. Raihan caught the ball and was tackled by Gordie and Milo. Vivienne came up behind Raihan and grabbed the ball and leapt over the guys. Leon and Nessa went to grab her but she jumped and slid past the goal post, scoring for their team. She hopped up and threw the ball into the air. 

“Yeah!!” She shouted, Raihan running over to her, picking her up. 

They started slapping their hands together, ending it with a double fist bump and hip bump, a handshake they remembered, surprisingly, after all these years. Their other team members came up to them and high fived each other. Leon’s team stood there in disbelief, Gordie crouched over, leaning against his knees. Leon watched Vivienne and Raihan and grinned, seeing they both had the same competitive spirit. 

“Damn, Gordie… your mum hits hard on impact…” Bea rubbed her shoulder. 

“Where the fuck did that come from?” Gordie was in complete disbelief. “Piers, why didn’t you like… step in?” 

“I told you guys. I showed up to show up. I’m just a placeholder, but now… now I’m interested.” Piers looked Vivienne over quickly before looking away, thinking he had seen her somewhere before outside of Galar. 

Leon noticed how the guys were looking at her, and he didn’t like it. Could he do anything about it? Nope. Could he go up to her and kiss her to show them all that she was the one he liked? Nope. Could he say anything about it? Nope. All because he would be murdered by his best friend for dating his sister. It wasn’t like they were even a couple yet. He didn’t have the right to make them stop staring, but he sure wasn’t going to like one minute of it. 

They all got into position for the field goal. Kabu kicked it and it went in between the goal post, giving Raihan’s team another two points. The score was now seven to zero. The game kept going, Leon’s team scored a few points, but not as many as Raihan’s team. They were literally tearing them apart. Leon kept watching Vivienne as they played. For someone so tall, she was agile and graceful and a force to be reckoned with. She was strong and fierce and merciless, and he actually enjoyed watching her going after Gordie. 

The game was in play and Vivienne was running down the field after the Gym Trainer with the ball. She noticed the play was getting too close to where Miss Opal and Allister were seated. She could see this not ending well. She grabbed onto the player quickly and slammed him down on the ground, going down with him before he could trip into Allister. She grabbed the ball and threw it back to Aria. She turned her head to Allister who was curled up in fear that he was going to be run down. Vivienne smiled at him and winked, hopping up, helping the Gym Trainer up. 

“You might want to move back a bit, mate. Don’t want you getting trampled on.”

With that, she sprinted down the field, Allister watching in awe. 

“Wow…” he mumbled. 

Gordie and them couldn’t believe how strategic Raihan and Vivienne were with their team. They didn’t even look tired yet. It was as though anytime Leon’s team had the ball, it was instantly taken by surprise tackles or the other team catching it mid throw. The ball was back into play and Raihan sprinted with it in his hands. He looked to his left and saw Vivienne behind him. 

“Vivienne!” He shouted, throwing the ball. 

Vivienne turned her head and saw the ball. She leapt into the air, bringing her legs up as she leapt over Milo, catching and clutching the ball to her chest. Leon had to stop and stare in awe as she leapt in the air. It was almost like she was flying, and she was kicking his team’s ass. She was hot.

“What a woman…” he mumbled to himself, starstruck.

She stumbled slightly as she landed in a crouch before sprinting down the field. 

“Go Dragon team!” Allister cheered, clapping excitedly. 

“Oi! You’re supposed to be cheering for me!” Bea shouted across the field. 

“Sorry, Bea, but Dragon team!” 

“Leon! Get her!” Gordie yelled. 

Leon snapped out of his trance and saw Vivienne making her way down the field. He was the only one closest to her. She had a cocky smirk on her face, her canines showing, as she looked behind her quickly. Leon bolted towards her as she wasn’t looking and full on tackled her in the stomach. 

“OOF!” 

The wind was knocked out of her as the ball fell out of her hands. Vivienne felt her back hit the ground, not knowing what just hit her. She groaned and opened her eyes, seeing Leon’s looking directly into hers, his face barely an inch from hers. Leon had taken some of his weight off her, but he was frozen, unable to stop staring into her eyes. Vivienne bit her lip, feeling the blush creep onto her face from him being on top of her. It was definitely an intimate and too-close-for-comfort position, but she didn’t mind it for one second. His body against hers was making her body go into overdrive mode. She saw his reaction as he realized he was still on top of her, and she smirked lightly. 

“Now you’re taking my breath away… I see now… there are better ways to do that, you know…” she teased, chuckling softly, flinching a bit from pain. 

“I’m so sorry, are you okay?” Leon apologized quickly, his eyes filled with worry. 

“Oh yeah, I’m fine…” She patted him on the chest. “I’m not complaining about the position I’m in right now, but I would probably breathe better if…” 

“Oh fuck, sorry, sorry!” 

Leon’s face flushed from her comment and got up, sitting beside her. Vivienne just laid there, resting her hand on her stomach. 

“Thank you…” she sighed in relief. 

Raihan and the others ran over, Raihan crouching down beside his sister. 

“You okay, V?” Concern laced his voice. 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She smiled up at him. “Just need to maybe lay here a few minutes…” 

“Damn, Leon, I said get her, not knock her out.” Gordie pushed his hair out of his face, placing a hand on his hip. 

Leon rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously. 

“My bad…” 

“I think this is probably a good time for a break anyway.” Kabu announced, everyone nodding and murmuring in agreement. 

Raihan brushed Vivienne’s bangs out of her face, smiling. 

“I’ll go grab you a water, okay? You just chill.” 

“Thank you…” She smiled back. 

The other guys were huddled around each other, making quick glances at Vivienne then at Raihan to make sure he couldn’t hear them. 

“Okay, Raihan’s sister is really hot.” Gordie muttered to them. 

“You don’t have to say that again.” Milo rubbed the back of his head. 

“Yeah, I don’t think any of you guys have a shot with her.” Nessa overheard their conversation as she was laying on the turf. 

“And why do you say that?” Gordie asked her, narrowing his eyes a little. 

“Because of that, mate.” Piers nodded in Vivienne’s direction. 

They all turned their heads and saw Leon helping her sit up. He rested his arm on his knees as his fingers brushed her bangs out of her face. The way he smiled at her gave way they hadn’t just met recently. It was the same smile he had earlier looking at his phone. Vivienne was smiling the same way back at him, laughing at something he said. Gordie sighed heavily before smiling lightly. 

“Well… at least Leon is happy for once…”


	8. Lost and Found, Forgotten and Remembered

Chapter Eight

The Rugby match ended with Raihan’s team brutally beating them 135 to 45. Everyone cleaned themselves up in the locker room and changed. After Rugby, the Leaders would go to one of the pubs in town and drink. Melony had to get home to take care of her three younger children so her second oldest wouldn’t have to put them to bed. Opal agreed to take Allister home for Bea since she lived close enough. 

“Kabu, you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Gordie put his sunglasses on. 

Kabu waved at them and shook his head, smiling faintly. 

“You kids have fun.” he turned to Vivienne and smiled. “We have some catching up to do some time, but you have fun with the others, alright?” 

“Alright, Uncle Kabu.” She smiled brightly and waved. 

He headed towards his flying taxi, waving back at them. 

“Alright, so it looks like it’s going to be me, Piers, Nessa, Bea, Raihan, Viv, Milo, and Leon.” Gordie looked around at everyone. “That sound right?” They all agreed. “Alright then we’re good to-”

Leon’s phone went off. He groaned, having a feeling he already knew who it was. His phone came flying out of his pocket, showing the Caller ID: Chairman Rose. 

“It’s the Chairman… I swear he sees when I have off and calls me for something just for the sake of hearing his own voice…” Leon mumbled before answering the phone. “Good evening, Chairman, how are you? …Yes, sir, everything went well today… Well, sir, I’m about to-... yes, sir… of course, sir… I will do that before I leave, sir…” 

Everyone quietly watched Leon as he was on the phone. His voice slowly became more monotone and drained as the conversation came to an end. Leon ended the call and sighed heavily, putting his phone in his pocket. 

“I’ll meet you guys there… Chairman wants me to make sure everything is in order for the season first…” 

“You sure you’re going to be okay getting there?” Raihan hesitantly asked, not comfortable with leaving him alone to find his way. 

“It’s the usual place, you think you can manage that?” Nessa folded her arms across her chest. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll find it, don’t worry. You guys go on ahead. I’ll be there shortly.” 

The others, except for Vivienne, looked at one another then finally shrugged. 

“Okay, Leon, we’ll see you in a bit.” Gordie started walking, the others following behind. 

Vivienne took a quick peek behind her shoulder and smiled at him, waving cutely. Leon smiled and waved back before walking back inside. 

“Raise your hand if you think Leon is going to get lost.” Gordie announced to the group. 

Everyone, except Vivienne raised their hand. Vivienne was confused, leaning into her brother. 

“Does he get lost often?” 

“Oh just wait… just wait…”

They had been at the pub for an hour, no one going home any time soon. Leon still wasn’t there yet. She was worried about Leon, but Vivienne was also having a good time catching up and talking to the others. She was eating some of her chippies when her Rotom phone came flying out of her pocket. She picked it up and saw Leon’s name pop up on the screen. 

“Excuse me.” She excused herself, sliding out of the booth. 

Once she was away from the table, she answered it, covering her other ear with one hand. 

She smiled as she spoke, carefully pushing through pub patrons. 

“Helloo? Where are you?” 

“Um…” She could hear the uncertainty in his voice. “I’m kind of lost…” 

Vivienne laughed lightly. 

“Kind of lost? You live here, don’t you?” 

“Yeah, um… I have a dismal sense of direction, and maps confuse me…” 

At that point, Vivienne had managed to step outside and walk down the steps. She looked in both directions of the lit up street, people hanging around outside, chatting while smoking a cigarette. It was a little chilly in Wyndon at night. She rubbed her arm, looking around. 

“Awe, okay, hold on. Can you tell me what street you’re on? What’s around you right now?” She calmly reassured him. 

“Looks like a statue... a music store… street name, I couldn’t tell you. Please don’t tell the others...”

Vivienne remembered walking past there on the way to the pub. It was up the street then you turned on another street then it was kind of off on a separate, smaller street. Honestly, she couldn’t blame him for getting lost in a city like this. It was a maze. She rolled her eyes cutely, smiling, beginning to walk in that direction. 

“Okay, okay, I won’t. Give me a few minutes. I’m coming to find you.” She turned onto the one street, staying on the phone with him. “So how did it feel to get your ass handed to you in Rugby today?” 

“I mean, I guess okay. I was kind of distracted the entire time.” His voice was beginning to sound calmer. 

“Oh?” A grin crept onto her lips. “What made you so distracted?” 

“Well, you, for starters. Let’s see, um. You. You. My friends checking you out blatantly was another reason. Uuum. You, and the fact that my best friend is going to feed me to his dragons if he finds out I’ve been seeing you.” 

Vivienne giggled as she turned onto the next street. 

“I think you’re still unclear as to why you were distracted. Care to share once more?” 

“Ha ha, very funny.” He chuckled. “You could have told me you’re Rai’s sister.” 

“Eh, I like being dramatic with my reveals. Plus I don’t get how you couldn’t put two and two together. We look the same.” 

“Listen, I’m smart at certain things, other times, I just have my good looks and charming personality.” 

“At least you admit it. I can definitely see why you’re best friends with my brother.” She snickered rounding the corner, seeing him, with his back turned, standing in front of the statue he had mentioned. “Turn around.” 

Leon turned around slowly and smiled in relief when he saw her. They both ended the call and put their phones away. Leon walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her. Vivienne hugged him back, stroking the back of his head, smiling brightly. He pulled back from the hug and rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously. 

“Sorry you had to come find me…” He smiled shyly. 

“Eh it’s okay. I was worried about you anyway. Plus it gave me an excuse to get a hug.” She started walking back. 

“You-you were worried about me…?” 

Vivienne stopped and looked over her shoulder, smiling softly. 

“Of course I was.” She held out her hand. “You may want to hold onto my hand. I don’t want to lose you.” 

Leon stood there for a moment and looked between her and her hand before he stepped up to her, taking her hand. She laced her fingers with his and pulled him along, staying close to him. They began walking back to the pub, Vivienne leading the way. 

“You weren’t too far off the path. You just turned onto the wrong street.” She assured him, squeezing his hand gently. 

“Oh… I was…? Well, that’s a first.” 

Vivienne giggled, leaning down to kiss his cheek. 

“So you’ll catch me when I fall, and I’ll come find you when you get lost. Sound like a solid plan?” 

“Sounds good to me.” He chuckled, shaking his head. 

Vivienne stopped before they turned onto the main street to the pub. She turned to Leon with a cute, mischievous smile on her face. 

“Now, before we arrive at your destination safe and sound, there’s a survey one must take to give honest feedback to the person who found you. If your founder wasn’t satisfactory, a kiss on the forehead would suffice. If your founder did a decent job, but could have been better, kiss her on the cheek. If your founder exceeded expectations and was absolutely superb, kiss her on the lips. Please choose one.” 

Leon grinned, closing the distance between them. His fingers ghosted along her forehead, moving her bangs out of her eyes. His eyes slowly flicked between her eyes to her lips. He then leaned down slowly, pressing his lips against hers, cupping her face with his hands. Vivienne sighed softly and wrapped her arms slowly around his neck, pulling him closer. She felt her back gently hit the wall of the building behind her as they kissed. His hand ran through her hair, the kiss soft and gentle. Vivienne could feel the Butterfrees in her stomach as her body was beginning to go wild again from his body pressed against hers. She gripped onto his hair gently, a small groan escaping his lips. Vivienne pulled away, leaning back against the wall. 

“Mm, so I exceeded expectations?” Vivienne was breathless. "Wow, you’ll definitely have to call for my services again.” 

“Oh I plan on calling for your services if there is a survey like this one at the end of each.” He grinned, pecking her lips real quick before they headed down the street for the pub. 

They walked inside and pushed their way through the growing crowd of people until they reached the table. The others saw them and waved them over. 

“Leon! Did you get lost, mate?” Gordie teased. 

“I uh-” 

“Actually, I was finishing my call outside when he showed up.” Vivienne smiled brightly, scooting into the booth again, Leon sitting beside her. 

The others looked at each other around the table, shock written on their faces. They were absolutely dumbfounded by this. Leon just stared at Vivienne with a cute, stupid grin on his face from her lying to the others. 

“R-really?” Raihan stammered, looking Leon over. “Are we positive this is my best friend? The same best friend who gets lost in his own hometown?” 

“That would be me.” Leon shrugged, biting his lip to keep from laughing. 

“Well, since you are the last one here, you can buy us all a round.” Gordie piped in, snickering. 

“I don’t mind doing that at all.” Leon rolled his eyes playfully at his friend. It was always a thing that the last person to show up bought a round for the group. 

Vivienne pushed her chippies basket over to Leon. 

“Chippie?” 

“Oh uh, yes, please.” He took a chippie from the basket and ate it, smiling at her. Under the table, she found his free hand and laced her fingers with his, squeezing lightly. 

“Okay, but is Leon buying us beer or shots because like, I think some of us need shots after the major ass whooping we endured today.” Nessa tossed her hair over her shoulder, looking at her nails. “I’ll buy a round.” 

“How about I buy everyone a beer, and you can buy shots?” Leon nodded his head. 

“That sounds fair. V, you in for some shots?” Nessa turned to her friend, smiling. 

“My body is always ready for shots, as long as it’s not vodka.” Raihan turned his head towards his sister, surprised by this. 

“You shots? And what’s wrong with vodka?” 

“Oh, sweet brother…” She patted him on the shoulder. “The amount of body shots I did on my eighteenth birthday… you would have been very impressed… and vodka does not like me. Let’s just go with that.” 

“Oh fuck yes, we getting litty, mates. I know what to get us.” Nessa grinned. 

“Were you doing the shots or were the shots on you…?” Milo carefully asked, blushing from even having the courage to ask. 

Vivienne smirked with the most innocent eyes, looking away from everyone. 

“How about I just leave that to all your imaginations?” 

The night carried on, everyone having a good time. Nessa, Bea, and Gordie were laughing over something, definitely feeling the effects of their drinks. Milo just sat quietly and enjoyed the company of his friends with his small grin on his face. Raihan, Vivienne, and Leon seemed unphased by the multiple drinks they had, watching their friends laugh. Piers leaned back in his chair with his arms folded across his chest, watching contently. He was mainly focused on Vivienne. He knew he had seen her before. 

_ Where do I know her from…?  _ He was puzzled, and he didn’t like being puzzled.  _ I know I’ve seen her- wait…  _

_ Piers was in the Hoenn region, about six months ago, for a benefit concert to raise money to protect sex workers rights. Coming from a poor city, Piers always advocated for what people would consider were the ‘underdogs’, the outcasts to society. He knew that feeling all too well. He wanted to do a photoshoot with a few dancers and was directed to the Underground in Sootopolis. The club was already pretty busy, music blaring. There was a commotion going on over at the bar. One of the bartenders was laid out on the counter with a few shot glasses still lined along her body.  _

_ A group of guys were cheering on their buddy as he finished the last few shots. He slammed the last shot back and his buddies patted him on the back as he slammed the shot glass down on the counter. The bartender sat up, crossing her legs, tossing her long silver-white hair over her shoulder; it almost shined when the lights hit it. She had darker skin and the brightest blue eyes. She hopped off the bar, easily towering over the guys. She wore a low cut tank top that was tight on her curves, partially revealing black spandex, and black thigh high boots and tattoos along her body. Two of the guys whined because she was leaving, she merely pushed them out of the way and walked back behind the bar.  _

_ The other guys pulled them along to continue their night. The bartender grabbed the shot glasses and started cleaning them in the sink behind the bar when Piers approached. He sat at the bar, and she smiled, not looking up at him.  _

_ “Could I get you a drink, sweetheart?” Piers was surprised to hear a Galarian accent come from her.  _

_ “Just a water, to be honest. I more or less would rather talk to you about a proposition.”  _

_ “Look, I don’t go home with guys, I don’t have sex for money, so if that’s what your proposition is, I can walk away or have you escorted-” She placed a napkin and glass of water on the counter in front of him. _

_ “Oh no, that is not what I meant.” Piers reassured her, smiling. “I’m actually doing a benefit concert to raise money for sex workers in order to protect them. I was wondering if you’d like to be in a photoshoot with me.”  _

_ The bartender looked skeptical but eventually loosened up, unsure as to how to respond to that.  _

_ “You’d have to speak to-”  _

_ “Your boss is the one who sent me here, and he’d be there to supervise everything if that’s what you’re worried about.” Piers responded instantly, taking a sip of his water.  _

_ “Oh um… I mean, I guess so. Can my friend do it too? She’s the one dancing on stage right now.”  _

_ Piers turned and saw who she was referring too. She had long black hair and was definitely shorter than the bartender.  _

_ “Sure, if that’s what would make you more comfortable.”  _

_ “Oi, Kiki!” The girl on stage turned her head. “You wanna do a photoshoot with me?”  _

_ “Sure!” the other girl shouted back before going back to her dance.  _

_ “Great. So she’s Kiki. What’s your name?”  _

_ “Luna.” She went back to cleaning the glasses.  _

_ “The hair?” he nodded towards her moon-like hair.  _

_ “And the fangs.” She smiled, showing off her sharp canines.  _

_ “Well, Luna. It’s a pleasure to meet you. The name’s Piers.”  _

_ He held his hand out for her to shake. Luna slowly wiped her hands on a towel and looked at his hand before finally shaking it, smiling. _

_ “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Piers.” _

It hit Piers hard. He didn’t know why he hadn’t connected the dots earlier with the tattoos, the eyes, and the hair. It was shorter now, but it was definitely her.

“Luna?” The name slipped off his tongue before he could catch himself. 

Vivienne’s head sharply turned at the name, a look of horror in her eyes as she looked directly into Pier’s eyes. The others noticed how unsettled she was suddenly. 

“I’ve-I’ve never heard of that name before in my life…” Vivienne stammered. 

Her eyes were pleading with him not to say anything more. Piers nodded slowly, clearing his throat. 

“I’m sorry, I must have said my thoughts out loud. I apologize, mate.” 

Vivienne seemed to relax suddenly, laughing nervously. 

“No problem, mate. Don’t sweat it…” 

Later, they all paid their tabs and called for flying taxis. Raihan and Leon were holding Gordie up, helping him into a flying taxi when Piers approached Vivienne. He had his hands shoved into his pockets with a chill and calm demeanor. They were alone for a moment. 

“You don’t have to worry about me telling anyone. Your secret is safe with me.” 

Vivienne stared down at the Dark-Type Gym Leader, speechless. She smiled in relief. 

“T-thank you… Raihan and Leon can’t know…” She stammered, rubbing her arms. 

“I’m sure they’d understand… I sure did when you told me.” He took his rare trainer card out, handing it to her. “You ever need to talk, I’m always willing to listen. Even now.” 

He began to walk away, heading towards his flying taxi. Vivienne staring off after him, then down at the card. As long as Piers was the only one who knew, she was fine with that as long as it stayed that way. Things were starting to go well for her, and she didn’t want the past year coming back to ruin all of that. 

LORE ARCHIVES, NEAR METEOR FALLS

It was the dead of night when a dark silhouette stood in front of the window, a set of bright green eyes being the only thing revealed of the figure. They pried the window open and carefully pushed it up, hopping quietly into the building. They turned the small flashlight on and made their way towards the back of the archives where the forbidden texts were locked away. They broke the locks off, the clanking of the locks on the floor made a loud thud. The silhouette hurried into the gated off section and shined the light on the books until they found the ones they were looking for. The silhouette heard someone upstairs and quickly shoved the ancient texts into the backpack and ran back towards the window, hopping out and closing it, ducking down as soon as someone walked in. They flicked the light on. 

She had short dark hair, her billowing cape behind her. Her red eyes scanned the area as she walked slowly, her hand on her Pokeball, prepared to release Salamence if someone were to attack her. She finally made her way to the back where the forbidden texts were and tilted her head. She crouched down and picked up the padlock; someone had broken it off. She sharply looked up, gasping at the realization as she threw the gate open and ran into the section. The ancient texts about time, space, and dimensions had been stolen. 

“Zinnia, what’s wrong?” An elderly woman had followed after, the cane echoing through the room. 

“Someone stole a few of the forbidden texts, grandmother.” 

Zinnia’s fists clenched, anger and concern coursing through her body. As Lorekeeper, it was her duty to protect the ancient texts of her people and the world, and now someone had the most dangerous texts known to the Pokemon World.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all are spoiled with the fluff, but now things begin to get interesting.


	9. Deal or No Deal

Chapter Nine

It was a boring morning shift at the castle. Vivienne sat at the desk with her head propped on her hand as she read an historical text. Raihan had managed to help her get a job in the tourist part of the castle since she knew the castle’s history so well. Cynthia, her boss, in a sense, and an old family friend, sat at her reception desk, typing away on the computer. The Gym Challenge Season had started a week before, everyone focused on the oncoming season. Vivienne glanced at the small clock on the desk and groaned. It was only 11:33 and she had been there since 8:30 to make sure everything was prepared for the day. She just needed to get through two more hours of gruesome boredom before she could go home and chill with her pokemon. Vivienne closed her book and started rolling a pencil along the desk, wanting at least one person to show up so she would have something to do. Glancing up over the desk, she noticed the ballroom. The doors were wide open, but it was roped off. It was mainly used for private events or festivals at the castle. 

Vivienne smiled faintly at the memory of the historical events and Dragon Festivals her father would help put together and host when she was younger. They were always a huge success and helped fund preserving the castle. The image of her father and mother presenting the evening with their dragon pokemon was still etched in her memory. The memory faded, and it was just an empty room, long forgotten. She turned her head to the older woman, watching her for a moment before speaking. 

“Hey, Cynthia?” 

“Hm?” Cynthia stopped typing and turned her head. “You need something, dear?” 

“Oh no, I just wanted to ask you something.” Vivienne leaned back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. 

“Of course. You can ask me anything.” Cynthia spun in her chair to face Vivienne, placing her hands on her lap. 

“Has Rai done any events or… festivals like what mom and dad used to put on?” 

Cynthia smiled sadly, shaking her head lightly. 

“No, I’m afraid young Raihan hasn’t had the heart to hold events after you and your father left…”

“Really? That’s kind of his thing though…” 

Vivienne was actually shocked by this news. Raihan normally loved any moment to be in the spotlight and talk about history and dragon pokemon; or just about himself, in general. He didn’t bring it up much, but he was in fact a huge nerd. He could rattle off every king and queen Galar had ever had right down to who succeeded them afterwards. He could talk to people about the legends of dragon pokemon for hours. He could lead people through the entire castle blindfolded and still give a detailed description of everything around him. 

“It’s quite sad, if you think about it. Your father used to bring so much life to the castle, and ever since Aster-” She paused for a minute, staring down at her hands. “It’s as though all the life was taken from this place…” 

“Yeah… he did, didn’t he…? Rai doesn’t even do the Dragon Festival?” 

Cynthia shook her head. 

“I tried to talk him into doing at least a presentation last year, and he kind of just shut down on me, dearie. He wouldn’t talk to anyone the rest of the day. He does put money aside from his battles and stadium earnings for whatever the castle needs. He’s been very generous that way, your family always has.” 

“Huh… I’ll have to talk to him about it… the Dragon Festival was always his favorite, and that’s next month too, isn’t it?” 

“I’m afraid it is…” Cynthia’s smile became happier as she looked up at Vivienne. “But maybe you can talk to him… I think he’d open up to you more.” 

With that, Cynthia turned back to the computer and went back to work. Vivienne went back to reading, no one coming in for tours the rest of the two hours she was scheduled to be there. Once it was time to leave, she said good afternoon to Cynthia then headed to find her brother. This early on in the challenge, Raihan wasn’t going to have anyone challenging him. She walked out to where they normally trained and only saw Aria. She approached the trainer, smiling lightly. 

“Hey, Aria.” 

Aria faced the voice and smiled when she saw Vivienne. She waved. 

“Oh, hello, Vivienne.” 

“Where’s Rai and the others?” Vivienne glanced around the area, seeing no one else. 

“Sebastian had a family emergency, Camilla is sick, and Raihan is in the locker room. He’s been kind of down today, if I’m honest. He went in to take a break twenty minutes ago and has yet to come back out.” 

Vivienne frowned. That wasn’t like Raihan at all. 

“I’ll go talk to him, alright? I’ll be right back.”

Raihan sat on one of the benches in the locker room, his elbows resting on his knees. He was staring down at the charm on his necklace that was in the palm of his hand. It was a circle with a dot in the middle, an x going through the center, Rayquaza wrapped around the outer circle. The look on his face was not his usual confident, happy self. It was dismal. Footsteps echoed in the locker room as someone towered over him. They slowly crouched down, revealing it was Vivienne. He glanced up at her, then back at the necklace, unusually quiet. 

“You okay, Rai…?” She noticed the symbol and smiled lightly. “You have mother’s necklace.” 

Raihan nodded, shoving it gently back into his shirt. He pulled his headband off and ran a hand through his locks. 

“Yeah, yeah I do… I wear it everyday, especially during the season…makes it feel like she’s watching me.” 

“I’m sure she’d be happy to see you wearing it…” Vivienne could see something was bothering Raihan, causing her to frown. He wouldn’t look at her. “Rai, what’s the matter…? Aria’s worried about you…” 

“Oh, shit, Aria! How long have I been-?” Raihan went to stand up, but Vivienne gently sat him back down. 

“I told her I was going to talk to you… you’re avoiding my questions…” 

Raihan sighed heavily, fidgeting with his hands. 

“It just… kind of hit me it’s going to be five years next month since mum died…” he admitted quietly. 

“Oh…yeah… that feels like a long time ago… doesn’t it?” She slowly stood up and sat beside him on the bench. 

Raihan nodded, resting his head on his sister’s shoulder. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder, rubbing his arm gently. She lightly pressed her lips to the top of his head, humming softly to him. He feebly smiled, remembering the calming tune, glancing up at her. 

“You know that’s what mum used to do right…?” 

“Yeah, I know.” she smiled down, brushing his hair back. “It always cheered you up when you were upset.” Vivienne paused. “She’d be very proud of you…” 

“I don’t think she would… I don’t think either of them would be…” 

“Wh-why do you say that?” Raihan lifted his head and saw the disbelief on her face. “Of course they would be.” 

“Viv, I’ve done nothing but train and make sure I’m good enough to lead this Gym… You don’t understand the huge shadow casting over this place, the shoes I had to fill… You do, but you don’t. I just… I can’t live up to him… They all expect me to be him, and I just can’t be him.” 

Vivienne listened and sat silent for a moment. Raihan waited for her to say something, but she didn’t for a few more moments. 

“Raihan… you don’t have to be dad…Why can’t you just be you? I think you’ve done a good job of being you from your posts on social media…” 

“It’s not what  _ they  _ want.” 

“Fuck what they want.” Vivienne’s voice raised, Raihan jumping back a bit. Raihan looked at his sister, seeing her trembling, her body tense. “You don’t have to do shit for them. You’re not dad. You’re Raihan. You’re your own person. And it really hurts seeing you comparing yourself to other people all the time. You did it when we were kids, and you’re doing it now.” 

“V-Vivienne…”

“You are fucking Raihan, the strongest Leader in Galar and the coolest older brother, if I may add. Fuck all the haters. They understood what dad went through, and they supported you from the beginning. If they fucking can’t be respectful of that, they can walk out the door. Bye bye. Sayonara, bitches.” 

Raihan bit his lip, trying not to laugh. Vivienne loosened up as she heard snickering and glanced over at Raihan, who was now covering his mouth. 

“Are you laughing at me? Are  _ you  _ laughing at  _ me _ ?” 

“You’re so dramatic.” He hugged her tightly. Vivienne was surprised and patted his back, hugging him back. All she ever wanted was for her brother to see how great he was. 

“Well, duh… it runs in the family.” She yanked on his locks gently. 

“Oi! Not the hair!” He fixed his hair quickly, grinning. “The ladies like the hair.” 

“Do they now? I’m  _ soooo  _ sorry.” She rolled her eyes, pushing him gently. “I’ll openly apologize to every female who would love a chance with you in advance. Sooooo sorry.” 

“You’re honestly the worst.” 

“Eh, you’re not wrong. But you love me anyway.” Vivienne shrugged, shoving her hands into her jacket.

“Yeah, I do.” He ruffled her hair, pushing her lightly. 

“Oi!” Running her fingers through her hair, she jokingly glared at him. “No touchy. There are consequences.”

“Oh yeah, like what?” 

“Like you doing the Dragon Festival next month.” She innocently glanced up at the ceiling. 

Raihan shook his head and stood up, heading for the pitch. 

“Nope, sorry, kiddo. I can’t.” 

Vivienne ran after him, skidding to a stop in front of him. 

“Come on, Raiiiii. We can do it together.” She gave him a pout and puppy eyes. Raihan groaned and tried to avoid her eyes. She always got her way when she did that. 

_ Arceus, I hate it she knows that works on me…  _ Raihan thought to himself. 

“That kind of event takes months of preparations. We can’t put something together in under two months.” 

“Is that a challenge?” Vivienne placed her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrow. 

_ Fuck… I made it into a challenge… _

“Vivienneeee, noooo…” 

“Come on, Rai! We can honor mom doing it, and we can make it our own thing. You won’t have challengers for what: a few months maybe? I’m not going to force you to do it, but I think it would be good for you and maybe even me too.” 

Raihan was thinking about it, she could tell. He had that look on his face. 

“We do know a lot about dragons…” he admitted slowly, hesitating with his decision. 

“We dooooo… and we’d be doing something mom loved doing with dad, and you would get to show off your dragon babies…” Vivienne kept putting ideas into his head, grinning. 

“And I do get bored of waiting for challengers the first couple of months…” He continued. 

“I bet you do. It would also get tourism rates to go up again.” 

“Yeah… it would…” Raihan quickly shook his head. “I don’t know, Viv…” 

He began to walk out again. 

“How about this?” He stopped. “We battle. One against one. I win, we try it out and see how it works out in the end. If you win, I won’t bring it up again. Sound fair?” 

He perked up at the idea of a battle. He peered over his shoulder with a fanged smirk, nodding his head toward the field. 

“A battle, eh? Hm… alright. You gotta deal.” 

They walked out onto the field, Aria’s head perking up. She went to stand up off the sidelines when Raihan raised his hand, grinning. She stopped, tilting her head. 

“Vivienne and I are going to have a quick one on one match. You’re free to watch or go if you want, Aria.” 

“Oh, okay. Um, I think I’ll stay and watch.” Aria stepped inside the pitch and threw up the shields. 

They stood at either end of the field. A chuckle escaped from Vivienne, Raihan’s eyebrow raising curiously. 

“What’s so funny?” 

“Oh just picturing your face when you lose.” There was no hiding her smirk. 

“You have yet to beat me, sis. Flygon, go!”

He threw the Ultra Ball, Flygon appearing on the field. It roared, flipping in the air once before levitating in one spot

“Yet, brother…” Vivienne grabbed onto her pokeball and pitched it out. “Dragonair, let’s go!” 

Dragonair flew up in the air on her release, a musical cry escaping it. It landed gracefully, ready to attack. Aria stared at the foreign pokemon in awe, never having seen a Dragonair in person before. Raihan didn’t take time shouting out his commands. 

“Thunder Punch!” 

“Dodge it and use Dragon Dance.” 

Dragonair flew into the air, Flygon’s Thunder Punch slamming into the ground. Dragonair began twirling and dancing in the air, it’s body glowing a light purple, boosting its speed and attack. It landed on the ground a ways behind the Flygon.

“Flygon, Steel Wing.” 

“You can take it then use Ice Beam!” 

“Flygon, get out of the way!”

Flygon’s attack hip, but it wasn’t fast enough as Dragonair released its Ice Beam directly at the opposing pokemon. It was super effective. Flygon hit the ground and struggled for a moment to get up. 

“Furry of Breaking Swipes!” 

“Wait for it…” Vivienne watched as Flygon flew closer and closer, preparing to slash at Dragonair. “Now! Twister!” 

Raihan’s eyes widened as a massive cyclone engulfed his Flygon, hitting it hard with the super effective Dragon move. When it disappeared, Flygon was on the ground, on the verge of collapsing, but fighting to get up. 

“Finish it with Ice Beam.” Vivienne placed her hands on her hips, grinning. 

“Flygon, dodge and use Thunder Punch!” 

But it wasn’t fast enough. It didn’t even begin its move when the Ice Beam struck it, knocking it out unconscious. Dragonair had barely taken any damage. It flew over to Vivienne, coiling itself around her, nuzzling her trainer. Vivienne petted its slippery skin, smiling brightly. Raihan just stood there and stared at her in shock, not expecting that outcome. 

“That’s my good girl… you did so well.” Vivienne returned her to her Poke Ball. 

“You did a good job, buddy.” Raihan finally returned Flygon to its Ultra Ball, smiling down at it. He glanced up and Vivienne was walking towards him with the cockiest grin on her face. “When the hell did you get that good?” 

“Eh, I learn a thing or two from watching your matches.” Vivienne held out her hand. “A deal’s a deal, Raihan.” 

He turned his head away from her then glanced down at her hand. He groaned and took her hand in his. 

“If I regret this, you owe me big time.” 

“Oh you won’t regret this. It’s going to be fun. We both like a challenge.” 

“I think we’re in over our heads.” He grinned lightly, shaking his head. “Give me Dragonair. I’ll go heal our pokemon.” 

“Oh, thanks.” Vivienne handed him the Poke Ball and headed toward the pitch. Her phone went off and flew out of her pocket. Her eyes widened, seeing who it was and answered it quickly. 

“Hey, Kiki. Aren’t you supposed to be working right now? It’s gotta be one in the morning over there.” The muffled sound of music could be heard in the background. 

“Hey there, sunshine. I am at work right now, but I need to tell you something.” 

Vivienne frowned, hearing the worry in her friend’s usual bubbly tone. 

“Marta, what’s wrong…?” She referred to her friend by her real name this time, sensing something was wrong. 

“Oh, nothing, I think yet… but Everett is here…” 

“Yeah, and? I haven’t worked there in a few months. The whoremonger can do whatever he wants. Everyone there knows he’s a piece of shit.” 

“Oh no, don’t get me wrong. He can be here all he wants, but it’s who he’s with…” 

“What do you mean…? Who is he with?” 

“I don’t know, it looks like some guys in strange suits...um… it looks like they are making a deal of some sort… I don’t know, Viv, but I’m getting a bad feeling from this… I think they’re up to something… they don’t give me a good vibe…” 

“Well, I’m sure it’s nothing…” With Everett, it was always something, but she didn’t want her friend getting into trouble. “Just stay away from them, okay…?” 

“I could easily find out what they were saying… men will tell me anything…” Her voice sounded distant. 

“Marta, don’t go anywhere near them.” Vivienne warned her. 

“I’ll talk to you later, Luna.” 

The call disconnected. 

“Marta? Kiki! Dammit, Kiki…” 

Her Rotom Phone quickly disappeared into her pocket, sensing her frustration. Raihan came back at the same time, handing her her Poke Ball. He noticed the worried expression on her face. 

“Viv, you okay?” 

Vivienne took the Poke Ball, faking a smile, nodding her head. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just a friend called. She was upset. That’s all. I’m going to go home. I’ll see you when you get home, kay?” 

“Oh, I hope everything is okay…I’ll see you later.” 

“I’ll fix something for dinner, okay?” 

“Sounds good. I should be home around six.” 

Vivienne nodded and headed towards the exit. She waved at Aria as she walked past. Too much was racing through her mind. All she could worry about was her friend getting into trouble with whoever Everett was talking to. She wasn’t there to protect her, to make sure nothing happened to her. Vivienne wasn’t going to be able to stop worrying until Kiki called her and told her she was okay. She didn’t need one more thing on her shoulders. She was already carrying so much as is. Somehow she had made it outside of the stadium, being lost in her thoughts. The afternoon sun was high in the sky, she had to squint her eyes to adjust to the sunlight. It was such a beautiful day, but she couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that there was a storm coming her way, and that happy days would be a thing of the past once more. She tried to shake the feeling off as she headed home, shoving her hands in her pocket. 

_ Nothing’s going to happen… Just breathe and stay positive… You’re going to be happy again… You’re going to be happy again... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I probably could have had this up yesterday, but I was really depressed yesterday and didn't have the energy to write. I did finally get to watch the Leon episode of the new Pokemon Anime, and wow. I really love that cocky bastard. 
> 
> I didn't really care for this chapter, but it suited its purpose. It did have some cute Raihan and Vivienne moments, so I'll take it.


	10. You Okay?

Chapter Ten

Cynthia had been so excited to hear they would be putting on the Dragon Festival next month and had gone to work right away to get things in order. Vivienne had been happy to see the older woman with a pep in her step again. Things were beginning to seem less gloomy at the castle. Vivenne spent her day off rehearsing the Dragon Dance she was going to perform for the festival. It was early morning, and Raihan had already set off for the Gym. Leon was going to stop by and spend some time with her, but he wouldn’t be there for a bit. 

Her pokemon were out, roaming about the grounds. The four she needed were Salamence, Dragonair, Gyrados, and Hydreigon. Gyrados towered over everyone. Vivienne smiled at each of her pokemon. They were happy basking in the sun and starting the day off with their favorite person. Putting her hands on her hips, Vivienne showed them she was ready to start. 

“Gooooood morning, my beauties. We’re going to be doing a Dragon Dance performed by the Draconid people. Salamence knows exactly what I’m talking about, don’t you buddy?” 

Salamence nodded, stomping his feet happily. Vivienne giggled, stepping up to him, resting her forehead against his. He almost made a mixture of a purring and growling sound, smiling, nuzzling up to her. Vivienne kisses his forehead, petting his head sweetly. 

“You’re going to teach the others what to do while I work on my part, alright? Some of Raihan’s dragon pokemon will be doing it too, but we’ll have to wait until he’s home to work on it with them. And you better be nice to Dragonair. I don’t want any fighting between the lot of you, is that understood?” 

The dragon pokemon nodded and went to a more open area to practice together. Vivienne took a deep breath and tied back her hair. She closed her eyes and slowly sank down into a low dragon stance before bringing her arms up and standing back up straight in one fluid motion. She focused on her heart beat. It was calm and steady. That was the key to this dance: it had a certain intensity to it, yet was calming and relaxed, feeling the energy course through the body and the surroundings of the dancer. She stumbled with one of the flips and shook it off, starting from the beginning again. Vivienne huffed. She had always been a perfectionist when it came to her dancing, even as a child. She couldn’t count how many times her mother or Raihan had to tell her to stop after she spent hours upon hours focusing on one motion she couldn’t get a hold on. 

She started over nine times within the first hour, getting frustrated with herself each and every time. Her form wasn’t right. She landed on her feet wrong. The arm motions weren’t right. It had to be right. She had a little over a month to rehearse it, but Vivienne wanted it to be good now. She didn’t want to let her brother down since she was the one who persuaded him to do this in the first place. And she certainly didn’t want to let her mom down either. This was her people’s dance. It was sacred to them, and she wanted to represent them without failing them. A certain memory kept replaying in her mind. 

_ Vivienne was performing the dance for a presentation at the museum in Sootopolis. The dance was going well, but someone had spilt water on the stage earlier without cleaning it up or telling Vivienne to begin with. She had gotten through halfway of the dance when her foot skidded across the water, slipping and falling onto her back. The crowd gasped as the curator and one other person ran onto the stage. Vivienne groaned, the ceiling spinning above her. She slowly turned her head seeing Everett standing there, unimpressed, with his arms folded across her chest. He scoffed, rolling his eyes.  _

_ “Utterly pathetic…” she heard him say. “This was a waste of my time.”  _

_ He turned his back to her and pushed his way through the crowd. Her eyes watered as she reached a hand out to him.  _

_ “Everett, wait… I can do it again… I just slipped… where are you going…?”  _

Vivienne clenched her eyes shut, bending over, resting her hands on her knees. She was breathing heavily, sweat beading down her face. 

_ You can do this… you can do this… He’s wrong. He’s wrong,  _ she repeated to herself, taking a deep breath. 

Vivienne wasn’t focused now. All she could hear was Everett calling her pathetic. Every negative thought came into her mind. She wasn’t good enough. It was never going to be as good as her mother. This was a waste of time. None of this mattered. She wasn’t a good dancer. She was going to embarrass her family by doing this. All these thoughts went through her head. Her eyes were shut tight as they began to water. She did a turn and her foot slipped over a loose rock. 

_ Vivienne copied her mother’s motions as she taught her how to do the Dragon Dance. Aster’s face was bright as she watched her daughter follow the motions gracefully. She stopped to correct her daughter’s arms once in a while, being gentle and kind with her corrections. Vivienne was so excited to finally learn this dance. She had seen her mother do it so many times at events. It showed the true beauty and intense power of dragon pokemon. Aster stood back, placing her hands on her hips.  _

_ “Vivienne, you are doing a beautiful job, my darling.”  _

_ “It’s still not as good as yours, though…” Vivienne kicked at the ground, shoving her hands into her pockets. Aster booped her nose before gently lifting her chin to look up at her.  _

_ “My darling, it doesn’t have to be as good as mine. We all interpret the dance differently. The movements come differently if you’re small or big, short or tall, but you have to feel it in here.” Aster pointed towards Vivienne’s heart.  _

_ Vivienne slowly put her hand over her heart and gasped slowly, staring in disbelief.  _

_ “I have to feel it in my jellies…” She mumbled in her disbelief, her mouth hanging open slightly.  _

_ Aster’s melodious laugh filled the air as she smiled endearingly at her.  _

_ “Yes, you have to feel it in your jellies, sweetheart. Why don’t you do the dance, and I’ll watch this time?”  _

_ “R-really? O-okay.”  _

_ Vivienne began doing the dance, not stopping. She closed her eyes as she danced. Aster smiled proudly at her daughter then flinched from a sudden pain in her head. She shook it off and continued watching her daughter. The pain came back again, sharper this time. She flinched, grabbing at her head. Vivienne finished the dance and opened her eyes, glancing over at her mother with the biggest smile on her face. She had done it.  _

_ “Mother! Mother, I- Mama?”  _

_ Her bright face fell as her mother collapsed to the ground. Vivienne ran over to her mother and shook her, trying to wake her up.  _

_ “Mama, mama, wake up! Daddy!!! Help!”  _

“Mum!” Vivienne yelled, reaching her hand out. 

“Vivienne! Vivienne, what’s wrong?” 

Vivienne gasped and rolled over to see Leon crouched down beside her. She was breathing heavily, tears streaming down her face. She sat up and hugged Leon’s neck tightly, hiding her face into her arm. Leon held her close, resting a hand on the back of her head as he whispered reassuring and calming words to her. 

“Sh, sh… it’s alright…are you okay…?” She shook her head, hugging him tighter. “Okay, that’s okay… can you stand?” 

Vivienne flinched when she moved her ankle. 

“I-I think I sprained my ankle…” she murmured through the pain shooting up her leg. 

“Alright, on the count of three, I’m going to help you up, okay? 1, 2, here we go.” 

He rested his hand on her waist and helped her to her feet, Vivienne only flinching a little. Leon put her arm around his shoulder, keeping his other arm securely around her waist. Vivienne kept the pressure off her right ankle as they headed towards the guest house. Leon glanced over at Vivienne, before his eyes were drawn to something in the trees on the property. He swore he could have seen a pair of bright yellow eyes and tiny pupils watching them as he opened the kitchen door, getting her inside. 

Vivienne sat on her bed with her back against the headboard. Her hair was still dripping wet after her shower. She carefully watched Leon as he wrapped her ankle up carefully. She hissed once from the pain, but he was for the most part being cautious. He sat at the end of the bed with her foot propped on his lap. He finished wrapping her ankle and gently placed her ankle on the mattress. He smiled softly at her, Vivienne returning the smile. She scooted herself over carefully, patting the spot beside her. Leon stood up and sat beside her. He looked tired. 

“Are you okay…? You look tired…” She gently brushed his hair back, ghosting her fingers over the side of his face. 

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. The Chairman keeps putting a lot on my plate lately…” 

“Awe, I’m sorry… you didn’t have to come if you would have rather slept in today…” 

“Honestly, this is what kept me going all week…getting to see you.” Leon, rubbed the back of his head, blushing. 

Vivienne wanted to smile at that comment, but judging by his strained voice, it had been a rough week. 

“Rough week…?” He merely nodded. “You want to talk about it…?” 

“I don’t want to bother you with it…” He wrung his hands, laying his head on her shoulder. 

“You won’t.” She reassured him, carefully taking his snapback off, putting it on her head backwards. “Can I play with your hair…?” 

Leon put his hand up to his head, feeling his snapback being taken off. He glanced up at her and smiled seeing her wearing his hat. No one had ever asked him that before, but it sounded nice. He nodded slowly, getting a smile out of her. Vivienne carefully scooted down, laying on the bed with her head on the pillows. Leon laid beside her. She had him lay his head on her shoulder, her fingers threading gently through his hair, gently massaging his scalp. He sighed softly, closing his eyes. It did feel nice and calming, almost lulling him to sleep. 

“Is it just opening week has you stressed, or is it just the Chairman’s stuff?” 

“Mm… I guess it’s a combination of both… my little brother is also participating in the challenge this year, so I’m a bit worried about him…” Leon answered, humming softly from her still playing with his hair. 

Vivienne smiled softly down at him, kissing the top of his head gently. 

“I’m sorry to hear that… I’m sure your brother is going to be just fine…what’s your brother’s name?”

“Hop.” He answered with a smile. 

“Well, if I see him go against Raihan or the others, I’ll cheer for him the loudest.” Vivienne hummed softly. “With the other stuff, I wish I could do more to help you deal with it all…” 

“Hm, I’m sure he’d appreciate that a lot… You’re helping more than you think…” He mumbled, pecking her neck once. 

Vivienne got a chill from the soft kiss. It was so gentle and small, yet it sent a spark of electricity through her. Her face flushed, and she was glad he couldn’t see her face right now. 

“I am…? Well, I’m glad I could help some…Your hair is so soft…” 

He chuckled softly, draping his arm over her stomach.

“Thanks…” 

“We appreciate a man who uses product and cleans up nice.” 

Leon snorted, shaking his head. 

“Oh no, my secret has been revealed.” He joked. “Whatever shall I do?” 

“Vivienne Gray has solved, yet another, mystery. Insert badass theme music.” 

Leon couldn’t help but laugh, covering his face with his hand. 

“Oh my Arceus, you’re something else.” He sat up, pushing a strand of her damp hair to the side. “Are you sure you’re okay…? What were you even doing?” 

Vivienne frowned, resting her hands on her stomach. She hoped he would have forgotten what happened. It was embarrassing. She sighed. 

“I was working on a dance for a festival Raihan and I are doing, and I just… got into my head, and-and it just brought back a lot of not-so-good memories…” 

“What kind of memories…?” He brushed the back of his hand softly against her cheek, warranting a feeble smile to crawl onto her lips. 

“I don’t want to burden you with all that…” 

“If it’s bothering you, you shouldn’t bottle it up… but I understand if you don’t want to talk about it right now… okay?” 

Vivienne studied his face for a moment. His words were genuine and he kept eye contact as he spoke. He seemed concerned about what happened earlier, and she hated people worrying about her. 

“Well, you see, my ex… saw me do that dance before… someone had spilled water on the stage and didn’t tell me...so I ended up slipping and getting hurt...He just-he said I was pathetic...then he just-he just left...said it was a waste of time… then when I slipped and hurt my ankle, my mum was teaching me the dance and then she collapsed...and she wouldn’t wake up… and I kept saying her name over and over again…”

She must have started crying again because Leon brushed her tears away with his thumb. Leon stared down at her as he listened with a mix of anger and compassion in his eyes. Vivienne was taken aback: he was actually listening to her. She didn’t have to hide her feelings from him. She didn’t have to hide her thoughts. 

“Hey, it’s okay…” His voice was soft and quiet. “I’m sorry you had to go through that…I hope I can see the dance one day. It must have been pretty special to your mum.” 

Vivienne just stared at him. Here she thought all guys, outside of her family, were just like Everett, and right there in front of her was the complete opposite. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought she’d ever meet someone like Leon. There was a connection right from the start, and it just felt natural, like it was meant to be. The urge to kiss him was driving her up a wall. She gave in. 

Grabbing his shirt gently, she leaned up, pressing her lips against his, more passionately than any of their previous kisses. Leon was surprised but recovered fast, returning the kiss, threading his fingers through her damp hair, the snapback falling off her head. She sighed against his lips, resting her hands on his chest. She caught his bottom lip in between her teeth and gently bit down, getting a soft moan out of Leon. Vivienne grinned lightly, the kiss deepening, making her stomach flip again like it did the week before. She laid back, pulling him on top, Leon carefully getting in between her legs. His hands roamed down her body as her hand ran through his hair, pulling gently. Vivienne felt like her body was on fire as his hands wandered her body. Though the kiss was heated, his touch was gentle. His hands ran up her sides, accidentally pushing up her shirt. Vivienne began to panic slightly, not caring for her body much, especially her stomach. She went to push her shirt down, but before she could, he pulled her shirt back down in its place. He broke away, glancing down at her, worried and apologetic. His face was flushed. 

“Sorry ‘bout that…Didn’t mean to do that.” 

“Oh, no, you’re good…” He leaned down to kiss her again, but they both froze. They heard the front door open and shut. Vivienne’s eyes slowly stared at her closed door, horror in her eyes. “You heard that too, right…?” 

Leon nodded slowly, staring at the door. 

“Hey, Viv?” Raihan’s voice was heard outside. 

“Shit!” She hissed, Leon tried to quickly get up, but slid off the side of the bed, landing on the floor with a boom. He groaned quietly, Vivienne quickly looking over the bed. 

“Ouch…”

“Are you okay?” She whispered. Leon simply nodded, sitting up. 

“Vivienne, you okay in there?” Raihan knocked on her door. 

Vivienne stood up too fast and flinched at her the pain shooting up her ankle. She grabbed at her hair, panicking, trying to figure out where to hide Leon. The room wasn’t great for hiding anyone. Her eyes landed on the window. 

“Uh ah uh- yeah! I’m good!” She hobbled over to it and opened it, waving at Leon to come to her. 

“What was that noise then?” 

Leon quietly hurried over to her, raising an eyebrow as she opened the window. 

“I uh-I fell!” She shouted. “Go through the window and hide down there, until I tell you to come up.” She whispered urgently. 

“You fell? Are you okay?” 

“Are you serious right now? I’m going to get stuck.” 

“It’s either the window or Raihan seeing you in here.” She turned toward the door. “Oh yes, I’m fine!

Leon didn’t take one moment to think and put his legs through the window. 

“Window it is then.” 

He shimmied his way out the window and crouched down under the windowsill. Leon sighed in relief, closing his eyes for a moment. 

_ Grrr….  _

Leon’s eyes flew open hearing the snarling. He slowly turned his head, seeing an Arcanine towering over him, baring its sharp canines. Leon didn’t move, staring directly into the canines eyes. A mistake he shouldn’t have made. 

“Well, fuck…” He mumbled to himself.

Vivienne combed her hair out with her fingers and hobbled over to the door, opening it, leaning against the wall. She smiled sweetly up at her brother. 

“You’re home early…” 

“I forgot my wallet… why do you sound breathless?” Raihan glanced behind her into her room, wondering why his sister was acting strange. 

“Breathless? Oh! I was… uh… dancing in my room with my headphones in… then I tripped and fell.” 

Raihan raised his eyebrows skeptically, then shrugged, grabbing his wallet off the coffee table. He started heading towards the front door. 

“I’ll see you later, then. Try not to fall while I’m gone.” 

“Uh huh! Yup, I’ll try!” Vivienne smiled brightly, laughing nervously. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Raihan stopped as he opened the door, turning back to her. 

“Yeah, I’m good. Go back to work.” She nodded, keeping her smile on her face. 

“Okay, okay. I’m going, I’m going.” 

With that, he closed the door and headed out. Vivienne watched him through the window and saw him walk through the gate and out of sight, back towards town. She went back to the window and poked her head out. 

“He’s gone- Leon?” 

Leon wasn’t there. A clearing of the throat from above her, caused her to turn her gaze to the tree to the right of her window. Arcanine was laying on the ground with its paws crossed, wagging its tail as it growled up at the boughs. Vivienne lifted her head and giggled, seeing Leon up in the tree, sitting on the sturdy branch. 

“Can you, uh… tell him I come in peace?” Leon cleared his throat again, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Vivienne couldn’t stop laughing for a whole minute until she finally managed to catch a breath. 

“Fluffy, come here, baby boy.” 

Arcanine’s head perked up when he heard his trainer call him. He stood up and trotted over to her, nuzzling his head against her. His fur was warm and soft and tickled Vivienne, causing her to giggle more. She petted his head gently, kissing all over the big puppy’s face. Arcanine licked the side of her face, his tail wagging a mile a minute. 

“Leon is good to mommy. He’s a good boy, like you’re my good boy. Yes, who is my good boy?” She cooed, giving the canine pokemon scratches behind his ear. It thumped it’s hind paw against the ground, tilting his head into her touch, his tongue hanging out. 

“Fluffy?” Leon climbed down the tree, hopping down, landing on his feet. 

“Oi, I was ten when I caught Fluffy.” She smiled brightly at Leon, then cupped Arcanine’s face gently, looking directly into its eyes. “Now, I think you need to say you’re sorry to Leon for chasing him up a tree.” 

Arcanine barked softly, licking her face once more before trotting over to Leon. Arcanine sat down in front of him, wagging his tail. He nuzzled its nose against Leon’s shoulder, whining quietly. Leon smiled up at the pokemon and gave it some pets and ear scratches. Arcanine’s tail wagged faster from the attention and licked the side of Leon’s face, content. Leon closed his eyes, smiling brighter from the pup’s enthusiasm. 

“Okay, okay, I forgive you, I forgive you.” Leon wiped his face. 

Arcanine barked happily twice then ran off to play with the other pokemon. Leon walked over to the window, Vivienne wiping her face with the sleeve of her jacket. He glanced up at her and shook his head lightly, a grin forming on his lips. 

“Next time, you climb out the window, and I’ll make the excuses.” He teased playfully, pecking her lips softly. 

“Mm…” She smiled against his lips, pulling away. “Okay, now come back in here and cuddle me. We have more Black Butler to watch!” 

“You going to let me in?” 

“You can climb through the window.” Leon’s jaw went slack for a moment, then saw the mischievous smirk on her face. “I gotcha. I’ll let you in through the front door.” 

Leon sighed in relief, making his way towards the front door. He hoped he didn’t have to climb out more windows, but he was willing to do it again if he needed to. She was definitely worth climbing out a window and climbing up a tree due to a protective pokemon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think you know the mystery pokemon, please refrain from saying it in the comments. Please and thank you. :)


	11. Those Bad Vibrations

Chapter Eleven

Zinnia was sorting through the books, putting them back into their proper place. The archives always smelled of old books and incense. It was one of her favorite scents and was probably one of the few things keeping her grounded at the moment. The thought that someone broke in and stole ancient texts still lingered in the back of her mind. Never had this happened before, and it angered her she couldn’t stop the person in time. Everything the week of the incident was off and strange, leading her to become suspicious. It all started when her cousin’s ex showed up and began demanding to know about destruction myths and the legends of other regions. The fact he had the nerve to show himself to her people after all the terrible things he had done to her younger cousin. He was nothing but an insecure and pathetic little man who only felt power when he put down others for their greatness. His pompous, spoiled, rich kid attitude wasn’t going to pass here. It had gotten to the point he went to push her out of the way, her Salamence and the other Salamence’s in the area protectively got in front of her, snarling at him. He eventually left, a threat escaping his lips. 

_ “Your pokemon won’t be able to stop me next time, I can assure you of that.”  _

She could still hear his thick Galarian accent in the back of her head, shaking her head. Zinnia wasn’t afraid of him. She fooled Team Magma into believing she was one of them. The most dangerous team in Hoenn believed she was working on their side. Everett was nothing to worry herself over. He was full of hot hair and didn’t have a backbone to do anything good with his life. Her little cousin deserved better than that scumbag. But Zinnia couldn’t shake the feeling that Everett may be more dangerous than he let on. It was no coincidence that a few days later, the forbidden texts were stolen. She couldn’t prove anything though. The culprit was careful not to leave any evidence behind. Whoever stole from the archives was smart, and she was going to it out one way or another. 

Her phone rang, causing her to jump, startled out of her thoughts. She pulled it off her belt and saw it was a number she wasn’t familiar with. Frowning, she answered it, putting it up to her ear. 

“Hello?” Zinnia continued putting books back on the shelves. 

“Hi, is this Zinnia?” The caller was a woman with a bubbly sounding voice. 

“This is she, may I ask who is calling?” 

“Oh um, I’m a friend of Vivienne’s-” 

“Vivienne isn’t here, she went back home.” Zinnia’s voice was a tad sharper than intended. 

“I-I know that. I wanted to tell you something…” The girl’s voice was nervous, stuttering almost. 

“What is so important that you need to tell me?” 

“Um, what do you know about plates and altering time?” 

Zinnia froze. Those were things mentioned in the forbidden plates that no one should know about. 

“How-how do you know about that?” 

“Well, these guys have been collecting these plates with ancient texts on them and have been trading them with asshole.” 

“Who is asshole?” Zinnia had a feeling she already knew who that was. 

“Oh, sorry, Everett. Everett is asshole.” 

“What’s he doing collecting plates?” Zinnia asked more to herself. 

“I don’t know really, but I don’t get a good feeling from these guys at all. They keep bringing up a Darkest Day and unleashing a great power on the world.”

Zinnia frowned. The Darkest Day sounded familiar, but that wasn’t a legend of this region. She’d have to do some research on it. 

“Did you see them with any books?” 

“Huh?” The girl sounded confused. 

“Did they have any really old books?” Zinnia waited patiently as she heard the girl hum to herself as she thought. 

“Hm...No I don’t recall seeing any books… but Everett always keeps his knapsack close to him. He doesn’t allow anyone to touch it.” 

“Um, okay, uh, I don’t know who you are, but I will keep an eye on the situation. I appreciate you calling and sharing this information.” 

“Oh yeah, no problem.” 

“Also, stay away from those guys from now on, understood? I don’t want you getting hurt for knowing too much, especially if you don’t know who they are.” Zinnia’s voice was stern. She wasn’t about to let Everett hurt one more girl. 

“But I-” The girl sighed. “Okay, I’ll stay away from them…” 

“Thank you. I’m sure Vivienne wouldn’t want you to get hurt. I’ll take care of things from here, okay? You did a good job.” 

“T-thank you. Sayonara.” 

“Sayonara.” 

When the call ended, Zinnia hurriedly scanned through the shelves, searching for anything on the Darkest Day, her fingers brushing over the spines of the books.

“Kanto...no...Johto, Hoenn… Alolan...Kalos...Galar! That’s it.” 

She grabbed the book off the shelf and sat at the table, carefully opening the brittle pages. It was one out of three texts they had of Galar lore and history, and it was by far, one of the oldest texts in the entire library.. Half the pages had been torn or damaged by weather before the lorekeepers got their hands onto it. She found the page, reading the text, or what was there for that matter. 

**_A black storm created by Eternatus… Pokemon became gargantuan, destroying villages… Zacian and Zamazenta...defeated Eternatus…_ **

“That can’t be-” She turned the page and groaned, seeing pages missing. 

Zinnia groaned and stared down at the worn page before pushing the book away, laying her head on the table. She had no idea how her aunt managed to do this before her. The lack of pages and faded words in some of the books drove Zinnia up a wall. The clicking of a cane echoed through the room, but she didn’t lift her head. She knew who it was. 

“Zinnia, what is wrong?” Grandmother’s voice was crackly but still full of life. She had a small smile lined her lips as she stood before her granddaughter. 

Zinnia turned her head, glancing up at her grandmother. Grandmother could see how troubled Zinnia’s eyes were. Something was bothering her. 

“Something came up that could lead me to the stolen texts, and this book is too worn to gather any decent information from it…”

Grandmother chuckled her cute little laugh, shaking her head. 

“You are your father’s child, and your aunt’s niece.” She reached out a withered hand, stroking Zinnia’s hair. 

“I wish they were both here to help me…I’m afraid I let them down.” 

Zinnia’s grandmother went silent. She had outlived both her children, both succumbing to their doomed fates. Zinnia was her eldest grandchild, and the one she saw the most and practically raised. She was the only family she had left in Hoenn. 

“I’ll have no granddaughter of mine say such things. They would be so proud of you, Zinnia. Your Aunt Aster would not have handed down the position of Lorekeeper if she did not believe you could handle it. Tut tut tut… all my grandchildren have no self-confidence… I say… a family of dragons and always putting themselves down… tut tut tut…” 

“Gomennasai, grandmother… I’ll try harder to be more confident in my abilities…” Zinnia sat up straight, bowing her head respectfully. 

“My child, you need not apologize to me.” Grandmother glanced down at the text before looking down at Zinnia. “If it is Galar lore and history you want, why not ask your uncle?”

“I doubt he’d speak to me. It would remind him too much of Aunt Aster…” 

“Hm…that is very true, my child. But it would not hurt to at least call him, would it?” 

“I guess you’re right… I’ll try to find out what I can by myself first, then I’ll try and contact him.” 

“That’s my Zinnia.” Grandmother rested a hand on her cheek and kissed her temple before slowly making her way towards the door. “When you are finished, we will have some tea. It will calm your spirits some, hopefully.” 

Zinnia smiled after her grandmother. She wished it was as easy as that to ease her troubled mind. She stood up and put the book back on the shelf, going back to organizing. She was finished in a matter of minutes, heading out to join her grandmother for tea. She paused thinking about Vivienne for a moment. She pulled out her phone and sent her a text. Though seven years older than her young cousin, Vivienne helped her when she, and really the entire world, needed her most three years ago. The least she could do was give her a heads up on the situation. 

**_Zinnia🐉: Hey, V. Your friend called me. Don’t know which one, she wouldn’t say. I know you’re probably sleeping right now, but I think Everett is up to something. I don’t know what yet, but I’m going to keep an eye out and see what I can find out. Just… be careful, okay? I don’t know if it’s anything, but just watch out for you and Raihan. You’re all grandmother and I have left. Love you._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm...? Zinnia and Vivienne saving the world before... hmmm... wonder what pokemon helped do that... hmmm. 
> 
> I really liked this chapter! I actually came up with this scene while taking a walk yesterday. Also, a big thank you to TheGinkgo for helping me with Aster and Zinnia's backstory!
> 
> Also, this is completely random, but this facebook post got Bet On It from High School Musical II stuck in my head, and all I can think about is Raihan with that song. Do I need a High School Musical AU in my life? Maybe. I have too many fic ideas. Please... stop me.


	12. Walls are Crumbling Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used some game dialogue. Just wanted to make a note that I do not own that dialogue.

Chapter Twelve

The fog was heavy in the Wild Area that morning. No one could see the sky or very far in front of them, but it was quiet: just the way Vivienne liked it. After waking up to Zinnia’s text, she was more worried and frustrated that Kiki didn’t even call her or text her that she was okay. At least she knew she wasn’t dead or in the hospital. She would probably go back to Hoenn and kill Everett and whoever he was working with if they laid a hand on her friend. Running was the only thing that would take her mind off things at the moment. Arcanine was just happy to be there, running alongside Vivienne with his tongue flapping in the wind. Vivienne had her earbuds in when her Rotom Phone started glitching, her music shutting off out of nowhere. She stopped running, pulling her phone out of her pocket. 

“Rotom, what’s wrong?” She softly asked. 

The Rotom glanced up at the sky and seemed to tremble in fear. Arcanine stopped. It crouched down defensively, its hair sticking up, growling and baring its teeth.

“Fluffy, what is it?” 

Red sparks began to appear throughout the fog above them. It almost resembled the sound of an electric pokemon charging an electric attack. Vivienne glanced up at the sky. The fog was so dense, but she swore she saw a red skeletal being fly through the fog, the red sparks surrounding it. It soon vanished and everything went back to normal. The Rotom Phone turned back on, startling her as her music began playing again, yanking her earbuds out. Arcanine didn’t relax, though. He was still on edge. Vivienne stepped up to him and stroked his fur, whispering calm, comforting words to the pokemon. 

“Sh, sh… it’s okay, buddy… whatever that was is gone now…” 

Arcanine relaxed and leaned into her touch, licking her hand then her face. 

“Ah! Fluffy, stop, stop, have mercy!” She giggled, then fell silent when she heard sniffling nearby. “Fluffy, did you make that noise?” 

Arcanine tilted his head, whining quietly in confusion. Vivienne heard the sniffling again, slowly creeping her way towards the source. 

“Come on, Fluffy… you stay close.” She whispered quietly, Arcanine trotting right behind her. 

Vivienne walked closer to the fortress wall and rounded the corner, seeing a boy, about thirteen, sitting on the ground with his back pressed against the wall. He was hunched over, his arms resting on his knees, his face hidden in his arms. His back rose as he quietly sobbed, his fists clenched. Vivienne went to step closer, snapping a twig under the weight of her foot. The boy’s head bolted up, staring up at her. Vivienne got more of a look at him now that he was sitting up. His soft amber eyes were teary-eyed, his cheeks wet and flushed from crying. He had short purple hair, a pair of grey joggers on, a black t-shirt, and a blue coat lined with wool. She had seen those soft amber eyes before. 

_ Was this Leon’s little brother…? _

Vivienne smiled softly, waving at the young boy. 

“Hello, are you alright?”

“Y-yeah, I’m f-fine.” He sniffled, angrily wiping his tears away. 

Arcanine trotted over to the boy, seeing him crying, and plopped himself down beside the boy, licking his face. The boy laughed and tried pushing his face away gently to be spared of the lick attack. He pet Arcanine’s face, the pokemon nuzzling up to him. 

“Fluffy likes you.” She told him, putting her phone and earbuds in her pocket. She stepped up to the boy and crouched down in front of him, pulling a kleenex packet out of her bag. She handed it to him, smiling as he hesitantly took it, pulling out a tissue and blowing his nose. “He doesn’t do that normally with strangers.” 

“R-really?” He stuttered, his head perking up. 

“Mhm,” she nodded. “You’re-you’re not Hop, by chance, are you?” 

“How did you-” He stared up at her in disbelief. 

“I’m a uh… friend of your brother’s… plus you have his eyes and the hair.” She ruffled his hair gently, a small smile lining his lips. “I’m Vivienne, by the way” 

“Oh, you’re Vivienne.” Hop scratched behind Arcanine’s ear, its hindleg thumping behind him. 

“You’ve heard of me?” Vivienne raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, he talks about you a lot when we chat. He told me I’d probably like you because you’re really cool and nice.” 

Vivienne blushed. Never had she thought Leon talked about her, especially to his family.

“Oh uh… that’s really sweet of him…” She paused for a moment. “Hop, why is it you’re over here crying?” 

He rubbed the back of his head, the same way Leon did, staring down at his feet. He sighed, his ears flushed. 

“Well, uh… you promise not to laugh?” 

“I promise.” She held out her hand, extending her pinky. “Do you guys still make pinky promises?” 

Hop smiled, wrapping his pinky around hers. He let it go, putting his hands in his lap. 

“You see… I was battling this other challenger; his name’s Bede. Well he-he said-hm…” 

Hop fell silent, his smiling face from a moment ago gone completely. Vivienne sat on the grass in front of him, hugging her knees, waiting patiently for him to speak, making sure he knew she was listening. Hop watched her for a moment before continuing. 

“Well we battled, and I lost…” He began, finding it hard to get the main point out. 

“Awe, wee man… losing a battle isn’t the end of the world. You learn from each battle you win or lose.” 

“Oh no no… I’m not upset about that. I can take a loss. Battling means you’ve got to lose sometimes. It’s what he said…” Hop fidgeted with his hands, breaking eye contact with her. 

Vivienne frowned. 

“What did Bede say, Hop…?” 

Fresh tears were forming in the boys eyes. He was trembling now. 

“He said-he said that I was dragging Lee’s good name through the mud, being so rubbish like I was... And I just can’t get those words out of my head!”

“Excuse me, he said what?” Vivienne’s voice was sharp and angry all of a sudden. 

_ I don’t even know this Bede kid, and I want to bash his skull in for making baby boy cry.  _

Hop was angrily wiping the tears from his cheeks as they started flowing again. 

“If I’m weak, then people’ll think Lee’s weak, too... But I don’t want that! I can’t let Lee get dragged down! He’s the unbeatable Champion! I don’t want to let him down… I don’t even know why he bothered endorsing me…” 

“Now if people thought that, they’d be expecting a lot from a thirteen year old’s first season.” 

“But they all expect me to be great like Lee though…” He began pulling at the grass beside him. 

“Oi… deja vu hitting a little different today.” She sighed. “Why don’t you just be great like Hop?” 

“H-huh?” Hop furrowed his brows, tilting his head. 

“You don’t have to be great like Lee because you’re not Lee. You’re Hop. I mean, we just met, but Fluffy really likes you, and I can see how much you care about your family and pokemon. Once you stop caring about what people think about you, you’ll probably be happier. Just be yourself and trust your team.” 

“Be myself…? I-I guess I can try that.” 

“I just hope so because your big brother is rooting for you and loves you lots. I think he’d be pretty upset if he heard all this right now.” 

“Yeah… he would…” 

“You have any badges yet?” Vivienne tried changing the topic a bit. 

“Uh, yeah, actually… I have the first three…” He shyly admitted, a small smile forming. 

Vivienne smiled proudly down at him. 

“Wow, three badges in a month and a half? You’re on a roll kid. Guess you’ll be up against Bea and Allister next, huh?” Hop nodded, appearing nervous suddenly. “Can I tell ya something?” 

“Y-yeah, of course.” 

“I can tell you that all the Leaders, including your brother, have moments where they feel like they aren’t good enough and question themselves a ton.”

“Psh, I doubt that…” Hop folded his arms across his chest. 

“You don’t have to believe me, but I literally just had this conversation with my brother, Raihan the other day.” 

“Raihan…?” 

“Uh huh. Don’t you say anything about it to him, though. I don’t need my big brother kicking my ass.” 

Hop laughed lightly as Vivienne stood up. She held her hand out for him. He looked at it before taking it, standing up. Vivienne put her hands on her hips and towered over the boy, then ruffled his hair again. 

“Now, I believe you need to get going and ready for those gym battles. You can’t let your fans down.” 

“Fans? I have fans?” 

“Yeah! Leon, your mom, your friends, and me!” 

“Y-yeah?” 

A whole new side of the boy was shown to Vivienne. He had his arms folded across his chest with a bright toothy smile. 

“Well, then I can’t let my fans or my team down, now can I?” He gave Fluffy one more pet, then hugged Vivienne out of nowhere. Vivienne was shocked but hugged him back, rubbing his back. “Thanks for talking to me.” 

“Hey, no problem. Here.” She pulled away and took out one of her trainer cards, handing it to him. “You ever need to talk or need help, don’t be afraid to shoot me a text or call me, okay?” 

Hop took it and nodded, running off towards the stairs, leading into Hammerlocke. 

“Thanks Vivienne! I won’t let you down!” He shouted back to her. 

Vivienne chuckled, waving after him. 

“He sure has a lot of energy, Fluffy.” The pokemon barked in agreement. Her face turned cold thinking about the kid that said such awful things to Hop. “I swear, if I bump into that punk ass kid Bede… karma’s a motherfucking bitch. Come on, boy. Let’s head home.” 

They both headed towards the entrance into the city. That day Vivienne would bump into Bede was going to be sooner than she thought. 

A week later, Vivienne stepped out of her flying taxi. Hop had messaged her saying he was challenging Bea at the end of the week. She told him she’d try and come to his match. What he didn’t know was that she and Leon were going to surprise him. Vivienne had gotten there a few hours early to look around while she waited for Leon to fly in from Wyndon. Vivienne hadn’t been to Stow-on-Side in a long time. It was still dry and dusty, but lively with the spirits of the people. Kids were already running around, playing with a Bronzong, merchants lined the streets. The morning crowd was already bustling. Vivienne started walking into the town when there was a huge crashing sound ahead above the gym. People were running down the staircase, pointing up at the ruins above the gym. 

“Someone is trying to bring down the mural!” One of the women shouted. 

Vivienne stared up at the ruins then started bolting up the staircase. Bea and Allister were rushing out of the gym when she reached the platform. 

“Vivienne, what are you doing here?” Bea met her halfway. 

“I’m here to see you go against my friend. Someone said someone is trying to bring down a mural?” 

“Oh my Arceus… Allister, you stay in the gym, okay?” 

“But- okay, Bea.” 

Bea and Vivienne ran up the staircase, people staring up at the raucous. They reached the top and saw a Copperajah ramming into the ancient mural, and a smug looking boy with platinum blond hair standing there, commanding it to ram into the wall. Vivienne swore the kid kept saying something about wishing stars. He wasn’t going to find any of those out here in the dessert though. 

“Oi! Cut that out!” Vivienne shouted, growing angrier. “That is a historical landmark!” 

“And you’re endangering everyone in the area.” Bea folded her arms, glaring at the kid. 

Copperajah stopped its next move, standing beside the kid, awaiting orders. The kid turned his attention to the girls and glared at them, scoffing. 

“This ugly thing? Bah, who cares? I know there are shooting stars in this mountain, and I’m going to find them. So you idiots can jog off and let me handle official business. I don’t have time to deal with more pathetic excuses for trainers like the Champion’s brother.” 

Vivienne realized who he was and snarled. He was the punk ass kid that said all those harsh things to Hop. 

“You’re that punk ass kid that hurt Hop.” She growled. 

“Bah, I just told him the truth. He’s so pathetic. If I were his brother, I’d be so disappointed. Now are you done bothering me or do I have to show an example of you as well?” 

“For one thing, I wouldn’t waste my precious Pokemon’s energy on someone like you. Secondly,” Vivienne walked up to the cracked wall and stood in front of it, glaring at Bede. “You’re not taking this wall down.” 

“Vivienne, what are you doing?” Bea inquired, worried about the state of the rock wall. 

Bede's eyes widened. No one had ever talked down to him that way before. His eyes narrowed. 

“Get out of the way, now!” He shouted. 

“No.” Vivienne stood firm. “You’ll have to go through me. Go ahead. I know my team will save me.” 

Bede growled and pointed straight ahead at the wall. 

“Copperajah, body slam on that wall!” 

Copperajah began rampaging towards Vivienne. Vivienne stood there, staring straight ahead, seemingly not afraid, leaving Bede unsettled. She just stood there, not moving. Copperajah was drawing closer when a new voice shouted an order. 

“Copperajah, halt!” 

The Copperajah skidded to a stop and was barely an inch away from Vivienne when it stopped. Vivienne looked around the pokemon and saw the Chairman and his secretary stepping onto the platform. 

“Ch-chairman.” Bede stammered his greeting, standing at attention. 

“I knew something was up when you asked to use the Chairman’s Copperajah.” The secretary’s voice would have almost been sultry if it wasn’t for her bored tone. 

“Young Bede...tsk tsk tsk…” Chairman Rose shook his head, disappointment written on his face. “It pains me to have to say this, but... I am truly disappointed. It’s true that I am the one who found you, back when you were all alone...I saw talent in you. You reminded me a little bit of myself, back when I was young. That’s why I sent you to a Trainers’ school, to give you a chance at success. But trying to destroy the mural—part of Galar’s history! You show no love toward Galar! You are clearly not a worthy challenger for the Gym Challenge."

“Wh-what do you mean?” Bede’s voice was shaking, desperate. “You can’t mean-” 

"We will decide what to do with you later. For now, you will return to Hammerlocke." Chairman Rose turned his head away from Bede. 

Bede looked between everyone in shock, then lowered his head, his hands clenched. He started walking down the stairs, the Chairman returning his Copperajah to its Ultra Ball. Vivienne walked back over to Bea as the Chairman turned his attention to the two girls. He smiled sadly, nodding his head. 

“Ah! Bea! And Miss Gray! Always a pleasure. Terrible shame, all this. An absolute disaster. I never wish to see us lose challengers for this sort of reason. Yet we do what we must do to keep things fair and sportsmanlike. Please forgive me, ladies, but I must be off now. My apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. Tata!” 

With that, the Chairman headed down the stairs, his secretary following close behind. Bea turned to her friend, hands on hips, glaring. 

“What were you thinking? You could have been killed!” 

“But was I killed?” Vivienne smirked, raising an eyebrow. 

Bea huffed and was about to say something when there was a sound of rock cracking. They slowly turned simultaneously and saw a large crack slowly grow along the rock wall. It started crumbling down. Vivienne pulled Bea out of the way and shielded her friend’s body with her own until the rocks had stopped falling. They lifted their heads and gaped at the beautiful architecture that was hidden behind the wall. It was two kings towering above them, and two wolf-like pokemon standing before them: one with a sword and one with a shield. Vivienne smiled brightly. This was a historians dream. 

“Rotom, come out.” She spoke as she continued staring. Her phone came flying out of her pocket, chirping at her happily. “Hi, buddy. Can you take some good far off shots then some inside around the statue?” 

Rotom chirped again and went to work taking photos of the discovery. Bea was shocked that something this magnificent was in her town. 

“Who are they?” 

“It looks like two kings and then what I can guess are the legendary pokemon Zacian and Zamazenta…” Vivienne mumbled, climbing over the rocks to get a closer look. 

“Viv, be careful.” Bea warned her, biting her lip as she watched her friend climb inside the gap. 

Vivienne stared up at the statues, brushing her hands along the stone. They were stunning, having to be close to 2,000 to 3,000 years old. Rotom flew around snapping photos before flying back into Vivienne’s hand. She had to send these to Zinnia and her father. Her father, especially, would have a field day with these. 

“Thank you, Rotom. These are amazing!” She sent them to Zinnia then hesitated before messaging her dad. 

**_Dad🐉💛: Hey dad, I know you’re probably asleep, but this was found behind the mural in Stow on Side! I thought you’d like it. I’m not quite sure, but it looks like Zacian and Zamazenta with two kings. Maybe you can shed some light on it? I love you, dad. We miss you._ **

Vivienne climbed out of the hole in the wall, dusting herself off. She wrapped an arm around Bea’s shoulder, and they started walking down towards the stadium. 

“Well, this has been an… eventful morning.” Bea rubbed the back of her head. 

“Yeah, you’re telling me…” Vivienne peered behind her shoulder to see the statues one last time, wondering what the story behind it was and why it was hidden before a wall for years. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got to write a decent Hop scene!!!! Eeeeep!!!! I'm so excited. See, we're getting somewhere. xD The Plot buildup is strong with this fic. 
> 
> Alsooooo, I'm close to getting 1000 hits on my fic Everything I Wanted. Once I reach my goal, I shall also start posting one shots for that story, and I'm very excited for that!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!


	13. Hop To It and Win!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I used game dialogue again!

Chapter Thirteen

Leon stood in the lobby of Stow on Side Stadium with his hands in his jacket. His eyes scanned the crowd of people in the lobby through tinted frames, people watching. Everyone didn’t notice him except for A little girl standing near him, waiting to go into the stadium. She glanced up, the only one to see under the brim of his hat. She stared in awe, her mouth hanging open. Leon noticed her staring and smiled, putting a finger up to his lips. The girl nodded slowly as a bright smile formed on her lips. Leon felt arms wrap around him from behind, causing him to turn his head, smiling brightly seeing Vivienne with her chin resting on his shoulder. He rested his hands over hers, pecking her cheek. 

“Well, hello there.” 

“Hello, handsome.” Vivienne was bubblier than normal, kissing him all over the side of his face. 

“Okay, Fluffy,” Leon laughed, teasing her over how she reminded him of her Arcanine. “You’re excited over something.” 

“Oh I am. I’ll show you when we sit down.” She walked around him, blatantly checking him out, running her fingers along his low bun. “Is this your incognito look now?”

“Looking like a douchebag was the best I could do.” Leon answered, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I don’t know about the douchebag part, but I think it looks sexy.” A small smirk lined her lips as she grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the ticket handler. 

“Y-you think so…?” Leon stuttered, his ears burning. 

“Mhm, very sexy. It’s like Clark Kent and Superman, only you’re hotter and better than Superman.” 

“I-uh...I… oof…”

Leon was speechless as they handed their tickets to the ticket handler. They walked into the stadium, walking down to their section, taking a seat. There was music playing throughout the stadium as commentators discussed the challengers this season and that day’s match. Vivienne never let go of his hand for a moment. She was practically fidgeting in her seat from excitement, squeezing his hand gently. She pulled out her phone and pulled up the photos Rotom had taken of the statues, showing him. Leon carefully took her phone and looked through the photos, his eyes widening. 

“That’s incredible…” 

“I know right?!” Vivienne grabbed his knee excitedly, watching him scroll through the photos. “The asshole kid, Bede, was ramming the mural down, and that’s what was hidden behind the mural! It’s gotta be close to 3,000 years old. Isn’t that amazing? Like wow, it’s such a grand discovery. I can’t believe Bea and I got to see it for ourselves. Like do you understand how much this could reveal to us our region’s history? And to still be standing for that long, completely untouched… it’s just… it’s so beautiful.” 

Leon turned his head, practically seeing the stars in her eyes from how ecstatic she was over the find. He saw her shake her head, meeting his eyes. Her face flushed when she saw him watching her. He leaned forward and pecked her sweetly on the lips. 

“You’re brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.” His smile left Vivienne a mushy mess. “You should pursue this.” 

“T-t-thank you…” Vivienne cleared her throat, playing with the hem of her coat. “I sent them to my dad and cousin. Hopefully I can get some answers. 

“I hope you do, too.” He handed her phone back to her. “You’ll have to tell me about it then.” 

“Oh, I definitely will!” She excitedly nodded her head, then stared down at her phone for a moment. She was kind of embarrassed to ask him. “Hey, Lee…?” 

“Yes?” 

“Um, this sounds stupid… but, can we take a selfie…?” 

“Yeah, baby, we can take a selfie.” He politely answered, running a hand through her hair. 

Vivienne’s face lit up from him calling her baby for the first time. It felt like her mind was shutting down over something so small and simple. It took her a moment to process everything, trying to find the words to say. 

“I, uh-I uh- okay.” She smiled shyly. “Uh Rotom, can you take a picture of us, please?” 

Rotom chirped and flew up. Leon’s arm wrapped around her, leaning closer to her. Vivienne laid her head against his shoulder and threw up a peace sign, showing her fanged smile. Rotom took the photo and flew back into her hand, Vivienne looking at it. 

“Awe, thank you, Rotom. We’re so cute.” 

Leon peered down and smiled brightly, kissing the top of her head. 

“You’re the cute one. Me? I’m the fuck boy of my nightmares, at the moment.” 

Vivienne snorted, covering her mouth with her arm. She managed to stop laughing and leaned up, kissing his cheek again. 

“Nah, you’re pretty cute, too.” She giggled, holding his hand again. “Are you excited to see Hop battle?” 

“I am! Though, I’m rather nervous, to be honest...he gets so flustered, and Bea’s tough” 

“Yeah, she is, but it will be a good experience for him: win or lose!.” Her head perked up, squeezing his hand. “Plus, I’ll be here to hold your hand if you get too nervous.”

Leon couldn’t stop smiling at her. His little brother was one of the most important people in his life, and she seemed to understand that. The commentator began to speak, Leon squeezing her hand as the battle was beginning shortly. 

“Gooood afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! Are you ready for today’s match?” The crowd went wild throughout the stadium. “Entering the field now is Challenger 189, Hop Lewis from Postwick!” 

Hop walked out onto the field from the left side of the stadium. Leon frowned, already seeing his little brother nervously eyeing the crowd as he took his place on the field. 

“And now for Galar’s karate prodigy! Gym Leader Bea!” 

The crowd erupted as Bea confidently strutted onto the field with her stoic expression. No one would have known she was almost crushed by rock earlier. She stopped, bowing respectfully to Hop before standing up straight, tightening her shirt. 

“Welcome, Gym Challenger. I’m Bea. Do you have an unshakable spirit that won’t be moved, no matter how you are attacked? I think I’ll just test that out, shall I? And don’t think for a second I’m going to take it easy on you because you’re Leon’s brother. I plan on winning this match.” 

Hop’s fists clenched, his jaw clenched. What he didn’t know was Leon was doing the exact same thing as him. 

“I don’t want you to take it easy on me. I’m not my brother. I’m Hop.” He hoped his voice wasn’t shaking from the nerves and how tense he was. 

“Don’t let her get to you, Hop!” Vivienne shouted over everyone. 

“You got this, bud! Stay focused!” Leon shouted after her. 

They were close enough to the field that Hop heard them. He swore he heard Leon and Vivienne’s voices in the crowd. He turned his head and caught a glimpse of Vivienne. He glanced at the person beside her and smiled brightly. They came to his match. They actually came to support him. The smile quickly turned into a determined smirk as he stared back at Bea, his hand hovering over his first pokeball. Bea stared at a Hop, surprise written on her face. His entire energy changed from nervous to determined and confident. The whistle flew, the referee on the Aegislash waved the flag. Her face hardened as she threw out her first pokemon. 

“Hitmontop, let’s go!” 

“Boltund, you got this!” 

Leon leaned back in his seat, intrigued by the lack of type advantage in this first round. Vivienne leaned forward in her seat, her elbows resting on her knees, watching Hop carefully. 

“Hitmontop, use Quick Attack!”

“Boltund, you can take it! Then use Spark!” 

Hitmontop rapidly spun, striking first, not prepared for the Spark attack. It was hit full force, sparks beginning to surround it from paralysis beginning to kick in.

“Use Nuzzle followed by Spark again!” Hop shouted, pointing straight ahead. 

“Dodge it and use Triple Kick!” 

The Hitmontop tried to dodge, but the paralysis wouldn’t allow it to move. It was hit by both Electric Type moves, breathing heavily. 

“Use Nuzzle again!” 

“Come on, Hitmontop! Triple Kick!” 

The ragged Hitmontop broke from its paralysis quickly and kicked Boltund three times as it drew closer. Boltund yelped and flew back, catching itself on its feet, skidding to a stop. It unleashed its Nuzzle attack, Hitmontop fainting. Boltund was starting to look rough, but Hop kept it in for the next round. Pangoro was released onto the field. 

“Pangoro! Night Slash followed by Bullet Punch!” 

“Dodge and use Crunch!” 

The Night Slash was fast, cut into Boltund then was followed with another hit from Pangoro’s second attack. Boltund couldn’t take anymore and fainted, Hop calling it back. 

“Nice try, buddy.” Grabbing his next pokemon, he threw it out, grinning. “Heatmor, let’s go!” 

“Pangoro, Bullet Punch!” 

“Wait for it…” Hop waited for the Pangoro to get closer. “Now! Dodge and use Bug Bite!” 

Heatmor dodged the attack, Pangoro surprised, then bit into Pangoro, dealing significant damage. Vivienne glanced over at Leon and saw the small smirk on his face as he watched every move his brother made. 

“So, he does listen to me about strategy… nice one, bud.” Leon mumbled more to himself. 

“Night Slash followed by Bullet Punch!”

“Counter with Fire Lash, then Bug Bite Again!” 

The Fire Lash countered the Night Slash move, Heatmor biting into Pangoro again. The pokemon roared and managed to unleash its Bullet Punch, knocking Heatmor off it. Heatmor was becoming tired, but not as worn down as Pangoro from the two Bug-Type attacks. 

“Finish it with Fire Lash and Bug Bite!”

“Get out of the way and use Night Slash!” 

Pangoro was too slow and was bit again by the super effective move. Before it fainted, it managed to land a hard Night Slash on Heatmor, managing to land a critical hit. Both fell, returning to their pokeballs. 

“I’m impressed, kid, but this isn’t over yet.” Bea shouted across the field. “Sirfetch’d, go!” 

“Cinderace, you can do it, mate!” 

“Revenge!” 

“Cinderace, Acrobatics!” 

Cinderace leapt into the air, Sirfetch’d looking around for its target. Cinderace landed the super effective move, Sirfetch’d barely hanging on from the critical hit. 

“Detect!” 

Hop grinned. 

“Use Acrobatics to get behind it!” 

Cinderace leapt into the air and acted as though it were going to attack the protected pokemon, but then landed behind it, awaiting Hop’s orders. Bea’s eyes widened. 

“Pyro Ball!”

“Sirfetch’d! Get out of the way!” 

Cinderace kicked the flaming pebble in the air, kicking the flaming ball right in the pokemon’s back. Sirfetch’d collapsed, fainting. Bea was down to her last Pokemon. Leon knew what Bea’s last pokemon was, and that one was always a tough one to beat. Leon hadn’t a clue as to what Hop’s other two pokemon were, but he had an idea they wouldn’t make it if Cinderace fainted. He began tapping his fingers on his knee, only stopping when he felt Vivienne’s hand on top of his. 

“Ugh! Fine then, let’s just destroy everything! Your skill is worthy of respect- and Gigantamaxing! Gigantamax Machamp!” 

The light on her Dynamax band lit up as red lights surrounded her pokeball. It grew three times its size before she threw it onto the field. Machamp was released, tripling in size until it stopped and released a mighty roar, towering over the entire stadium. Hop returned Cinderace and quickly Dynamaxed Cinderace, releasing the rabbit pokemon back onto the field. It roared after it finished dynamaxing, ready to fight. 

“G-Max Chi Strike!” 

“Counter with Max Airstream!” 

Both attacks met, the Airstream canceling out the fighting attack. The crowd was shocked by this tactic. They watched in anticipation as the battle continued, Machamp being hit by the Flying Type move. 

“Wh-what?” Bea stammered, clenching her fists. 

“Max Flare followed by Max Airstream again!” Hop threw his fist in the air. He wasn’t about to lose now. 

“Max Strike!”

Machamp managed to get its attack off as a giant fireball slammed into it. Cinderace stumbled back from its opponent’s attack, but it wanted to make Hop proud. His trainer believed in him, and he wasn’t backing down. Cinderace released a strong airstream attack, striking Machamp. There was a huge explosion and smoke filled the atmosphere. When the smoke cleared, Machamp was on the ground unconscious. Bea ran over to her pokemon, looking it over as the referee flew down on his Aegislash. He waved his flag into the air. 

“Machamp is unable to battle. Challenger 189 and his Cinderace are the winners!” 

“WOO!!! Go Hop!” Vivienne and Leon stood up excitedly, cheering loudly. 

Cinderace returned to his normal size, and Hop ran over to it, hugging his pokemon tightly. Cinderace perked up, nuzzling up to him. Hop glanced up into the crowd, finding Vivienne again. She waved at him excitedly then he saw Leon giving him a thumbs up. Hop couldn’t be happier and waved back before turning back to his pokemon. 

“We did it, buddy! Great job! Return.” Cinderace returned to its pokeball as Hop met Bea in the middle of the field. 

Bea bowed respectfully, a small grin on her face. 

“I gotta say, kid… You surprised me. Battling against you and your team... I hadn’t expected it, but it made my heart dance. It’s good to be unshakable in the face of battle. But it’s good to be moved by battle, as well. Thank you again. Take the Fighting Badge. I hope that you’ll meet many more Trainers and have many more matches in the future. And I hope that every one of those encounters will nourish your spirit."

Vivienne and Leon waited in the lobby for Hop to come out of the Locker Room. When he came out, he was back in his normal clothes and with the biggest smile on his face. He saw Vivienne first and ran over to her, hugging her tightly. Vivienne stumbled, laughing as she hugged him back, stroking his hair. 

“Wassup, mate? Surprised you, didn’t I? You were brilliant out there.”

“I- you think so? Why-uh, thank you. You-you said you couldn’t come.” Hop was stammering, flustered by the compliment. 

“Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you. Plus, the real surprise is someone  _ way _ cooler.” 

Hop pulled away and slowly turned to his big brother. Hop was practically trembling from excitement and nerves seeing his big brother there. Leon smiled down at his little brother, ruffling his hair. 

“I’m impressed, bud.” He told Hop. 

Hop couldn’t contain his excitement anymore and threw his arms around his brother, happy tears falling down the boy’s face. Leon picked Hop up, hugging him tightly, rubbing his back. Hop’s body shook as he sobbed quietly, holding onto Leon tighter. 

“Wow, hey, buddy…” Leon smiled brightly. “It’s okay. Sh…” 

“I can’t believe you’re here… you’re actually here… you actually came…” Hop mumbled into his shoulder, sniffling. 

“I had to come see my best mate battle at least once.” Leon put Hop down when he felt Hop finally loosened his grip. Hop wiped the tears off his face with his jacket sleeve. “I see you took some of my advice after all.” 

“Oh, yeah. I tried, at least.” Hop wrung his hands, smiling at Vivienne as the three headed out of the stadium.

“You need to be more confident, my dude.” Vivienne nudged him in the arm when they stepped outside. 

Leon’s Rotom Phone flew out of his jacket pocket, showing a video call notification from his mom. He raised an eyebrow, pressing the accept button, shoving his hands into his pocket. 

“Hey, mum.”

“Hi, sweetheart! What are you up to?” Emily greeted in her usual bubbly, energetic attitude. It looked as though she were sitting at the table doing some work. 

“Just finished watching Hop’s battle at Stow on Side Stadium.” Leon answered casually, the three stepping aside and out of the way of people leaving. 

“Oh, was it televised live? Usually they release the battles later in the day.” 

“Oh no, I went to Stow on Side to see him. See?” 

Rotom turned as Vivienne was fixing Hop’s hair. Emily’s eyes widened in surprise and happiness over seeing both her sons together. 

“Awe, you supported your brother? That was so sweet of you! Hi, Hop sweetheart!” 

Hop waved, smiling brightly at his mom on the screen. 

“Hi, mum! Guess what? I got my fourth badge! I beat Bea!” 

“Oh, that is wonderful, darling! I’m so glad to hear that!” 

“Thanks! And Vivienne and Leon surprised me too!” 

“Vivienne?” There was confusion in Emily’s voice. “Who is Vivienne?” 

“Hi, there…” Vivienne laughed nervously, waving shyly. 

“Hello, dearie! I’m afraid Leon hasn’t mentioned you to me yet. Leon-” 

Rotom turned the phone back to Leon, he was rubbing the back of his head.

“I uh… well, Vivienne is my girlfriend, mum.” He didn’t realize the words that slipped out. 

Vivienne stood there and stared at him in shock. She just stared at him, a small stupid smile forming on her lips. Almost two months of dating, and he actually called her his girlfriend.  _ His _ girlfriend. The squeal that came over the phone was one she never thought a grown woman could make. 

“Your girlfriend?! Oh my goodness, sweetheart! Why didn’t you say anything? Oh she’s so pretty! Oh, sweetheart, that is so good! I never thought you’d get over Sonia, but wow, look at you! Ah!” 

“Thanks, mum… I appreciate the support…” His cheeks darkened as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Why don’t you bring her to dinner tonight? It would only take you a couple hours to get here by taxi! I would love to meet her! It would be nice to see my boys too!” 

“Oh, I don’t know if-” Leon began but was interrupted by more of his mother’s excited rambling. 

“Oh! I have to go, sweetheart! I have some work things to finish up! Good bye, my darlings! I love you! Mother, you’ll never guess-” Her video call ended as she walked out of the frame. 

“Love you too, mum…”

Leon groaned as his phone went back into his pocket. He felt like crawling in a hole and dying at the moment. He glanced over at Vivienne, who was still staring, awestruck. Hop glanced up at her, seeing the expression on her face. Poking her arm, she didn’t move. Hop turned back to his brother and shrugged. 

“I think either you or mom broke her.” Hop shoved his hands into his pockets. 

“Vivienne? Vivienne?” Leon shook her gently. “You alright, love?” 

“Uh huh…” She smiled lovingly at him. 

“Are you okay with going to dinner at my mum’s…?” He was hesitant to ask. He knew his mom and if he didn’t show up… He would be in trouble, big time. 

“Oh um, yeah, of course. That’s fine with me.” Vivienne couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off her face. 

“I gotta go get ready for my battle with Allister tomorrow!” Hop tried to escape, but Leon grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. 

“Nah ah! Ooooooh no. Mom said you too, mate. I’m not getting chewed out for you not being there.” 

“But Lee-” Hop saw the hard, stern look on Leon’s face. It was a mixture of their mom and dad’s faces when they were putting their foot down. Hop sighed heavily, knowing he wasn’t getting out of it. “Fine…” 

“Mhm, that’s what I thought.” Leon grumbled, calling a Flying Taxi. 

When the taxi arrived, the three hopped in: Leon and Vivienne sitting together on one side, Hop having the other side to himself. He had fallen asleep fifteen minutes into the ride, snoring softly. The poor kid was tuckered out. Vivienne hugged Leon’s arm cutely, her chin resting on his shoulder. She couldn’t stop smiling at him. Leon turned his head and smiled back at her, curious as to why she was staring again. 

“You’re staring again.” His voice was soft, his lips pressing against her forehead. 

“Can you blame me?” Her eyes closed from the tender kiss, her smile brightening. 

“Did I say something?” Leon kept his voice hushed so not to wake Hop up. 

“You told your mom I’m your girlfriend…” She finally told him, letting go of his arm, gently reaching up with both hands, pulling his sunglasses off carefully. Now she could see his pretty eyes again. 

“Oh-Arceus, shit… I did didn’t I? I’m sorry, I just- I thought- I’m sorry, we didn’t really talk about-” 

His rambling ceased when he felt her lips against his. She held his face in her hand, pulling away slowly as she met his eyes. 

“I like being your girlfriend…” She whispered softly, stroking his cheek. 

“Y-yeah…?” Leon swallowed hard, trying to remember how to breathe. 

Vivienne nodded, pecking his lips sweetly before resting her head on his shoulder, her eyes fluttering close. She fell asleep in a matter of moments. Leon watched her for a moment, carefully wrapping his arm around her, holding her close to him. He was surprised at himself. He never thought this would happen again in a million years, but here he was with someone he actually wanted to be with. Someone who made him happy and feel normal again. Leon was never the champion to Vivienne. He was just...Leon. Leon’s face brightened as he stared out the window, letting the other two sleep in peace for the two hour taxi ride to Postwick. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, friends! So sorry for the delay! I've been pretty down this weekend and was struggling to write this chapter. It was originally going to be really long, but I thought this chapter ended nicely and would transition nicely into the next chapter! 
> 
> Also, if you couldn't tell, I love Hop and Leon a lot. They need more moments together. 
> 
> Next chapter you get dinner with mum and grandparents and Slumbering Weald, maybe Viv's mystery pokemon makes an appearance??? We'll seeeeee.


	14. The Woods Are Just Trees, The Trees Are Just Wood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title... is in fact... lyrics from Into the Woods... For reasons.

Chapter Fourteen

The Taxi landed, Leon waking Vivienne and Hop. They stepped out of the cab, Vivienne looking around. She had never been to Postwick before. It was cute with farmland surrounding the town, people had beautiful gardens with flowers blooming in bright colors. It was quiet and peaceful there, contrasting with the two boys’ energetic spirits. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud banging. She looked over her shoulder seeing a Wooloo ramming its head into a fence across the way. 

“What’s that Wooloo doing?” Vivienne nudged Leon in the arm.

Hop turned and shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

“That Wooloo does that a lot.” Hop walked into their yard, heading towards the house. 

“Shouldn’t we help it get through the gate?” Vivienne was confused as to why no one was doing anything to help the little pokemon. 

“Um, no one is supposed to go through that gate. It leads into the Slumbering Weald.” Leon answered, watching the Wooloo carefully. “It will be okay. The little guy is safer on this side.” 

“Slumbering Weald…?” She had only heard stories about that place, but she never knew where it was. “Okay, if you say so… but if it's still there after dinner, I’m checking on it.” 

“We can do that.” Leon took her hand, pulling her along. He hesitated at the door, turning to her. He seemed more nervous than she was. “Um...I’m going to apologize ahead of time… my family asks a lot of questions…” 

Vivenne tilted her head, smiling softly at him. She leaned down and kissed his cheek. 

“I think I can manage questions. I’m a six foot three inches tall, heavily tattooed girl. I think I got this; only if you hold my hand, that is.” 

“I mean, I planned on doing that anyway.” Leon held the door open for her, walking in behind her, shutting the door. 

As soon as Vivienne stepped into the house, the smell of curry was in the air. Her mouth watered from the delicious scent. She could hear Hop running his mouth excitedly in the kitchen. Leon led her to the kitchen. Her hand tightened around his hand. Now she was starting to get nervous. They stepped into the kitchen, Hop had finally stopped talking and was scrolling through his phone. Standing by the stove was a pretty, stocky woman stirring a pot. When she turned, she had the same amber eyes and purple hair as her boys. She saw Leon and smiled brightly, walking over to him, embracing him in a huge hug. Leon’s smile was wide and beaming as he embraced his mom back. She was a few inches shorter than him. 

“Leon! Hello, sweetheart. Let me look at you.” Emily grabbed his face gently, eyeing him carefully. “You’ve gotten skinnier. Have you been eating? You need to remember to eat during your busy schedule. Do I need to remind the Chairman that you are a human and need to eat because I will.” 

“Hello, mum. I’m fine, don’t really.” He leaned forward and kissed his mom on the forehead. “You’re kind of squishing my face.” 

“Oops! I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Emily let go, smiling brightly at her eldest son. 

Vivienne noticed he didn’t really answer his mom’s question about him eating. That worried her a bit. Leon never really discussed work when they were together, even if she asked him. He would just say it was okay or great and change the topic. 

“Mum, this is Vivienne.” 

Vivenne waved bashfully as his mom turned to her. The surprised look in his mom’s eyes made Vivienne panic more. 

_ She already hates me… She already hates me…  _

“You’re even prettier in person! Oh, it’s so nice to meet you, dearie. You can call me Emily or mum.” 

A wide smile grew on her face as she hugged Vivienne just as tight. Vivienne froze, not expecting a hug. She wasn’t expecting her to like her at all, but she wasn’t complaining at all. Her hug felt warm, welcoming, and felt like magic. It almost reminded Vivienne of her mom’s hugs. Vivienne smiled and hugged her back before they pulled away. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, ma’am.” 

“My, my… you are a tall one.” Both Leon and Vivienne turned to the new voice, seeing a shorter, elderly woman walking into the kitchen. 

“Y-yes, ma’am… I get that a lot…” Vivienne laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. 

“I’m sure.” The woman responded, coldly. 

_ Okay, it’s definitely not mom I need to worry about… it’s grandma… _

“Hi, Grandma.” Leon stepped up to her, kissing her cheek, a warm smile crept onto the woman’s face. “This is Vivienne.”

“Hello, sweetheart.” She gave Vivienne a second glance before walking past them towards Hop. She leaned down and kissed his cheek, ruffling his hair. “How’s my Hop?” 

Hop smiled brightly, hugging his grandmother around her waist. 

“Hi, Grandma. Where’s Grandad?”

“Grandad went out of town this week to visit a friend.” His grandmother stroked the boy’s hair, smiling lovingly.

Vivienne leaned into Leon, every fiber of her being screaming at her to run away now. 

“I don’t think your grandmother likes me…” She whispered, gripping onto his hand. 

“Don’t take it personally. It’s not you, I promise.” Leon whispered back, kissing her temple, the tension releasing from her muscles. 

“Vivienne, make yourself at home, alright?” Emily assured her as she put food on the table. 

“Thank you, ma’am.” 

She hesitated as she started shrugging her jacket off, remembering the short sleeve jersey she had on underneath. 

_ Well, if grandma is going to hate already, she might as well get the whole package. _

Vivienne shrugged her jacket off and placed it neatly behind her chair, sitting down, Leon sat beside her, grabbing her hand under the table. She could feel eyes on her, squeezing his hand tighter. It took everything she had not to run out the front door and go home, but Leon’s hand in hers was keeping her grounded. Hop noticed her right arm, gawking at the pokemon he had never seen before. 

“I’ve never seen that pokemon before…” 

It took Vivienne a moment to realize what Hop was talking about, glancing down at her Rayquaza tattoo. 

“It’s the legendary pokemon Rayquaza. It’s one of the legendaries in the Hoenn region.” Vivienne smiled at how bright his face lit up. “There’s a lot of cool lore behind it, but I think I’d do that after dinner.” 

Hop was about to go back on his phone, then stopped, pouting for a second. He put the phone back in his pocket, folding his arms across his chest. 

“That’s fair…” 

“Have you been to the Hoenn region Vivienne?” Emily set the last bowl down on the table, taking her seat at the table. 

“Yes, ma’am. I actually lived there for five years. I just came back about two months ago.” 

“Oh I bet that it’s beautiful there. Do you have family there?” 

“It’s very beautiful.”  _ Okay, if Emily asks the questions, I’m good. If grandma starts asking questions… I may cry…  _ “My mom was actually from Hoenn, so I have my cousin and grandmother. My dad lives there now.” 

“Just your dad?” 

“Oh, well, um… My mum passed away a few years ago, so we kind of moved there for reasons.” 

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean-” 

“Oh no no no, you’re fine. It’s really no problem.” Vivienne was doing better than she thought she would so far. “I’m just glad I’m home and with my brother again.” 

“Well, that’s good to hear.” Emily smiled reassuringly at her. 

Everyone fell silent as they began eating. The curry was the best curry she had had in a long time. It almost tasted the way her mum used to make it. 

“This is really good curry, Ms. Emily.” Vivienne saw the woman’s face light up. 

“Oh thank you, sweetheart. Please help yourself to more. There’s plenty here.” 

“So what did you do while in Hoenn, Veronica?” The grandmother glanced over at her, studying her carefully.

_ Oh no…  _

“It’s Vivienne...wh-what did I do…?” Vivienne’s voice cracked, the nerves coming back. 

Leon and Emily exchanged looks as they glanced over at grandmother. 

“Yes… Vivienne… my apologies. I mean as in a job, if you even had one.” 

_ Leon’s gotta be smoking something if he doesn’t think this woman wants my head under a guillotine... _

“Well, I uh… I had quite a few jobs.”  _ That you probably wouldn’t approve of, but we’re not going to go there.  _ “I was an intern for my father, then I worked at a museum in Sootopolis, uh- I was a bartender for a few months, and I danced.” 

“Oh, like professional dancing?” 

“Not necessarily professional...I taught dance.” Vivienne felt her face becoming hot. 

_ That wasn’t really lying… I taught dance for like three months...ish… Dance moms… too many… damn… dance moms… _

“And what are you doing now?” Grandmother continued, sipping her water. 

_ She’s trying to find something to use against me…  _

“You don’t need to drill her with so many questions.” Leon furrowed his eyebrows, rubbing the back of his head. 

“It’s fine, Leon.” Vivienne was thankful for him speaking up, but she was slowly gaining confidence. “I’m a tour guide at Hammerlocke Castle.” 

“Pah. That’s impossible.” The grandmother scoffed, a smug grin lined her lips. “Only the most intelligent historians are given that position. It’s nearly impossible for anyone to get hired.” 

“Well, my family happens to know that castle inside and out, and my brother happens to be the Gym Leader there, so yeah, I wouldn’t lie about that.” 

“Your Raihan’s sister?” Emily cleared her throat, attempting to change the topic. “So you’re Draken’s daughter.” 

“Yup, that’s my dad. The Guardian of the Vault, prior to my brother.” Vivienne slowly turned to stared down grandmother. Her face was red, the smug grin from a moment ago gone. It took Vivienne everything she had not to smirk. If she was her brother, she would have just to be an asshole.

“Vivienne’s really passionate about dragon pokemon and history. She’s brilliant.”

Vivienne’s ears were hot from Leon’s compliment. She smiled lovingly at him, pushing him gently. Emily watched the two interact and noticed the way they looked at each other. She hadn’t seen her son this happy over someone in so long. He seemed genuinely happy again, not putting on a show for the whole world. 

“I’m not thaaat brilliant… maybe a bit.” Vivienne’s laugh was musical as she laughed at her lack of modesty. “I think Leon is pretty brilliant himself…” 

“You both are something, I can tell you that much.” Emily chuckled softly, shaking her head, seeing how flustered her son was. “He’s had his moments, however.”

“Oh? Please do share.” She mischievously grinned, hearing Leon groan.

“Mum, spare me, please.” He covered his face with his hands. 

“Hm, which one should I start with: Getting called to the Pokemon Center because Leon fell out of a tree and broke his arm trying to catch a pokemon or Leon and Hop getting chased by a herd of Wooloo?”

“I would love to hear both.” Vivienne giggled, hugging Leon’s arm, pressing her lips gently on his forehead. 

The dinner continued smoother than the start with lots of laughs and Leon being flustered. When they all finished, Hop stayed a little longer before finally heading out to do some last minute training. Vivienne kept insisting that she help clean but Emily wouldn’t allow it. She was just as headstrong as her kids. Soon it was time for Leon and Vivienne to head out. Leon gave his mom a huge hug, not letting her go. He kissed the top of her head, smiling warmly down at her. 

“I’ll come down again soon when I can, okay, mum?” 

“I would like that a lot.” Emily mumbled, holding him tighter. 

“I love you.” Leon told her softly, kissing the top of her head again, pulling away.

“I love you too, sweetheart.” She kissed his cheek quickly, turning to Vivienne, giving her another hug. “It was so nice to meet you, Vivienne. You’re welcome to come over whenever you’d like, alright?” 

“It was a pleasure, Ms. Emily. Thank you for inviting me. Everything was delicious.” Vivienne hugged her back then pulled away. 

“I’ll let you know when I get home, mum.” 

They began to walk out the door but were stopped by the sound of grandmother’s voice. 

“Leon, I would like to speak to Vivienne for a minute alone before you all go.” 

Vivienne felt her heart stop. She didn’t want to be left alone with this woman for a second. Leon glanced between the two before slowly nodding. 

“I’ll wait by the gate for you.” 

When he walked away, the grandmother stood there with her hands folded across her chest. Her lips were in a straight line, but her eyes were soft and filled with concern. 

“You seem to make my grandson happy, young lady.” She admitted, keeping her eyes on Vivienne’s. 

“I hope so, ma’am, because he makes me happy as well.” 

The elderly woman nodded; her expression never changing. 

“Too many girls have hurt my grandson, and I just want the best for him. You can understand why I’m so cold when he brings girls home.” 

“Y-yes, ma’am… I can understand, but I can assure you that I care a lot about Leon, and I would never want to hurt him. Never in a million years.” 

Grandmother nodded again before grabbing the doorknob. 

“Good night, Vivienne.” 

“Good night, ma’am…” 

The door gently closed on Vivienne. She released the breath she was holding in and headed towards the gate where Leon was there waiting. Leon instantly enveloped her in his arms, hugging her tightly. Vivienne sighed heavily in relief and melted in his embrace, holding him close. She nuzzled her face into his neck. Leon chuckled softly, rubbing her back as he kissed her cheek. 

“I guess my grandmother didn’t scare you away?” Vivienne shook her head. “Well that’s good to hear. I’m sorry about that.” 

“It would take a lot to scare me away from you.” She pulled back enough to look into his eyes. “I’m going to need a list of every girl who hurt you, so I can physically kick their asses.” 

Leon laughed nervously, running a hand through his hair. 

“I really wish she hadn’t brought that up…” 

“Hey, it’s okay…” She kissed his, brushing her thumbs against his cheeks. “We don’t have to talk about it right now… but you can talk to me about anything that’s bothering you, okay…? I just want to make sure you’re alright and taking care of yourself…” 

“I-” Leon wasn’t sure how to respond. He ended up burying his face into her neck, hugging her tightly. Vivienne stroked his hair, kissing his temple. “Thank you…” 

“You’re welcome, baby.” 

There was a crash. 

Both looked in the distance and saw the gate to the Slumbering Weald slamming against the wall. Vivienne ran over to the gate, trying to see if she saw the Wooloo. It was nowhere in sight. She started walking past the gate. A hand grabbed her arm, gently pulling her back. 

“What are you doing? You can’t go in there.” 

She could tell this place made Leon nervous. All the stories were after all just stories to scare children from entering; at least she thought. Vivienne huffed, putting her hands on her hips, exposing her belt with all her Poke Balls. 

“I’m going in after that Wooloo.” Vivienne was nonchalant with her response. “Or have you forgotten who I am?” 

“I mean, no… I haven’t, but-” Leon rubbed his neck, glancing behind her. 

“If I’m not back in ten minutes, you come and get me. Sound fair?” 

“I don’t like it, but I can do that.” 

Vivienne rolled her eyes playfully, quickly pecking his lips before running down the path. 

“Be back in a tick!” She shouted over her shoulder, disappearing into the weald. 

There was an eerie veil of fog on the ground. The sounds of nightlife echoed throughout the foliage and trees. Time almost seemed to cease to exist here. It had been a while since anyone walked along the paths. They were overgrown with grass and barely visible to the eye if people weren’t careful. The pokemon in the weald didn’t seem to mind Vivienne walking and calling out for the lost Wooloo. They just watched her. Everything seemed to be watching her, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to make sure the little Wooloo was alright and safe. 

“Wooloo. Come here, Wooloo. Woooooolooooo. Ugh… where did ya go, wee man? You have such tiny legs…where on Earth could you have gotten to?”

The fog became heavier the further she walked into the weald. There were less pokemon now. She began having trouble seeing in front of her. She froze. Everything was silent. No pokemon chirping or croaking, just silence. Spinning around and stepping backwards, the fog had completely surrounded her. She tried turning to see where she had come from but couldn’t find the path anymore. Her heart was beginning to race. She couldn’t be lost. It was a straight path. 

“Wooloo! Wooloo! Leon! Ugh, he can’t hear me from here, dumbass… I’ll just call him and-” She pulled her phone out. There was no service. “Well, fuck…” 

Two eerie, melodious howls echoed through the fog, Vivienne jumping in fright. She couldn’t see anything through the fog, circling slowly. She stopped, hearing snarling behind her. She slowly turned, seeing piercing yellow eyes locked on her. Two massive wolf pokemon emerging gradually from the fog. Both pokemon had battle scars lining their bodies, a piece missing from their one ear. The fur on one's neck resembled a shield. It was bulkier than its partner and had bared its sharp canines. Its dark blue and magenta fur stuck up behind it. The second was shorter and stood there elegantly, watching Vivienne carefully. Its orange tail flicked behind it once. Its fur was a beautiful blue with orange braids. Vivienne had never seen such beautiful pokemon before. The larger one began to circle her as a predator would to prey. Vivienne was panicking inside, her heart threatening to race out of her chest. She just came in here to find a Wooloo, and now she was going to be a wolf pokemon’s snack. 

“I-I don’t want to hurt you… I just want to find a Wooloo that got lost in the woods… I mean no harm…” 

It didn’t stop. The smaller howled again, the fog becoming deeper. A lightheaded feeling washed over her suddenly as the larger wolf came to a stop in front of her. It seemed like it was protecting the other, crouched down, appearing to pounce. One of the PokeBalls on Vivienne’s hip began shaking, her family crest on her wrist began to glow. The Pokemon released itself and coiled around Vivienne protectively, towering over the Wolf Pokemon. It roared loudly, it’s piercing yellow eyes glaring at the two. The deep fog that had surrounded them had vanished with the release of Rayquaza. The two pokemon saw her wrist glowing and relaxed for some reason. The larger one snarled once more before slowly standing on all fours, backing away. The two turned their backs, peering over their shoulders once more at Vivienne before vanishing. Vivienne collapsed, Rayquaza’s serpentine body coiled around her, the only thing keeping her from hitting the ground. 

“Vivienne!” She faintly heard someone calling out her name as she started coming to again. 

“L-Leon…?” Her eyes fluttered open as she saw Leon running up the path with a small sheep-like pokemon following behind him. 

“Vivienne, are you- holy fuck.” His eyes widened at the sight of Rayquaza, the pokemon laying it’s head down beside Vivienne, huffing. 

It took Vivienne a moment to realize what he was gawking at until she was stroking Rayquaza’s head. She grabbed its pokeball frantically and returned it, sitting there on the ground.

“Wh-what?” She stammered, stumbling to her feet, brushing herself off. 

“Was that Rayquaza?” Leon pointed at where the pokemon had been moments before. 

“Rayquaza? Psh. What? Pssssh… Why would Rayquaza be in Galar? Psh, you are… silly.” 

“Okay, I may have the occasional blond moment, but I sure as hell just saw a giant green dragon pokemon that happens to be on your arm, right fucking now.” He grabbed at his hair, confusion and shock written on his face. 

“Okay okay, if I saaaay that Rayquaza  _ happens  _ to be one of my pokemon and you  _ did  _ in fact see it, will you calm down?” Vivienne kept her voice as calm and soothing as possible, putting her hands up.

“I guess??” His voice got higher. 

“I may… have Rayquaza on my team….” Vivienne admitted, her hands covering her face. 

“Well that’s-um- why? How?” 

“That… is a story for another night.” She dropped her hands, looking around for the other pokemon. “Where did the other pokemon go?” 

“What other pokemon? I found you passed out with Rayquaza wrapped around you.” 

“What?” Vivienne furrowed her brows, glancing over at him. 

“You didn’t come back, so I came to find you and found the Wooloo hidden in the trees. I heard a roar and came running and found you unconscious.” 

“But there were-” She paused when she saw an old stone bridge she hadn’t seen before the fog was lifted. “That wasn’t there before…” Vivienne crept towards it, crossing it. 

“Okay, I guess we’re going over the bridge now…” Leon sighed, shrugging. “Come on, Wooloo. You’re the one who got us into this mess.”

“ _ Baaaah. _ ” Wooloo hopped along after Leon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys... I'm getting ridiculous... I have 100 something pages on Google Docs so far, 20 pages of it is stuff that happens later, and I'm not even to the juicy juicy stuff yet. But I hope you guys are enjoying this story because I'm certainly having a good time writing it! Thank you for the 600 hits within the first two weeks! You guys are fantastic!
> 
> https://rohirrim1996.tumblr.com/post/619136302783365120/i-drew-my-pok%C3%A9mon-oc-for-my-pok%C3%A9mon-fanfiction?fbclid=IwAR0kk_pbtac-GQyjTtVZ_wKa_ZScLTgGgbdkuVLNAnmCkO6ylNp_R3N1zVQ
> 
> Also, the link above is a drawing I did of Vivienne when I was having trouble writing. It's what she looked like playing Rugby. That's what she looks like!
> 
> I named Leon's mom after my best friend Emily, who is in fact from England and approves all my British scenes before I post them. Apparently her name is one of the top most named females in England, so I was like like I'm naming the woman who birthed the two coolest kids ever after the coolest person I know.


	15. I Feel A Change

Chapter Fifteen

It was a straight shot from wherever the bridge led to. She came to a slow stop when she came to a clearing. The fireflies floated lazily above the water. The moonlight was beginning to peek through the canopies above. The light seemed to shine on an altar standing near the water. It had been abandoned over the years, pieces were broken off. Wild ivy crept up the arch, moss and grass were growing out of the cracks of the foundation. A stone slab jutted out of the foundation. It was quiet all except for the calm running water. It was tranquil, lost deep in the woods. It was almost like stepping into one of the great tales of Galar.

Vivienne couldn’t believe her eyes. It was so beautiful and calming. She didn’t even notice Leon standing beside her. He was equally as amazed as she was. After twenty years, he had never known this place existed, and it was right next door to him. Vivienne instantly took her phone out. 

“Rotom, can you take some pictures please?” Vivienne kept her voice hushed, afraid to disturb the scene. Rotom chirped and instantly whirled away to take pictures. 

“What is this place?” Leon mumbled.

“I don’t kn-” Her eye caught on two objects resting in front of the slab. She grabbed Leon’s arm, pulling him along as she walked up the steps, kneeling down in front of the altar. There was an old rusted sword and shield lying beside, weathered by nature over the years. “Oh my Arceus… look at these…” 

She grabbed the sword by its hilt, observing it carefully. It had an ancient text scribed into it, but she couldn’t make it out. The sword had to be close to 3,000 years old or even older. Her gaze shifted when Leon picked the shield up, holding it up by the handle. It was almost fitting that he picked up the shield. It made her smile as she watched him observe the shield. He genuinely seemed fascinated over it, and that made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. It was nice not hiding her interests from someone for once. 

“It suits you.” Vivienne broke the silence, Leon snapping out of his focused state. He glanced at the shield then Vivienne, smiling.

“It does…?” 

“Mhm, it does.” She smiled brightly. “You’re already a beloved Champion of Galar much like a beloved hero in lore. Why not?” 

“Oh well… I uh… thank you…” 

“You’re welcome.” She giggled then froze when she heard the howls again. This time, Leon heard them too. 

“What was that?” Leon eyed the area, stepping in front of Vivienne protectively without realizing it. 

Wooloo bah’d nervously, shrinking up against Leon’s legs. Vivienne put the sword down and pulled her jacket off, laying it on the ground. 

“Well, considering two wolf pokemon came out of the fog, probably those two again, meaning we should probably get the hell out here, like, now.” She held her hands out to him. “Give me the shield, please.” Leon handed it to her carefully, keeping a hand hovering over Charizard’s Poke Ball. 

She placed the shield down on the jacket, putting the sword on top of the shield before wrapping it up securely. Hugging them securely to her chest, she grabbed Leon’s hand pulling him towards the exit. 

“Come on, Wooloo!” Leon called after the pokemon, it quickly rolled to them, following right behind. 

As soon as they crossed the bridge, heavy fog began rolling in, covering the bridge once more. Vivienne noticed her crest glow again, peering over her shoulder one last time. She swore she saw, what had to be, illusions of the two wolf pokemon. They didn’t snarl this time. They just watched them. When they got out of the weald and past the gate, the Wooloo bah’d and rolled away. Leon locked the gate once more. They both sighed in relief. A chilly breeze blew through, making contact with her bare arms. She shivered, having sacrificed her jacket for the artifacts. Leon saw her shiver and shrugged off his jacket, placing it over her shoulders. Her cheeks flushed. It was warm and still smelt like his cologne. 

“Oh no, won’t you get cold?” 

Leon shook his head, smiling down at her. 

“Nah, I’ll be alright. I’m a walking space heater.” 

He carefully took the bundle in her arms, allowing her to put her arms through the sleeves. She didn’t know why this made her so happy, but it sure as hell made her feel mushy and warm inside. They began walking towards Wedgehurst to catch the evening train, their fingers laced together. 

“So when are you going to tell me about the whole Rayquaza thing?” 

“Eh, maybe next date. It’s kind of a lot. Involves saving the world. Doing some slightly illegal things to save the world. It’s just a long ass story.” Vivienne sighed, laying her head on his shoulder. 

“Oh shit, guess I’m dating a badass now. You’re not a fugitive of the law or anything are you?” 

Vivienne laughed, shaking her head. 

“No, I’m not a fugitive of the law, silly. You can’t be telling people about Rayquaza either, until I’m comfortable sharing it with the world. Promise?” 

Kissing the top of her head, he nodded. 

“I promise.” 

It was close to eleven when Vivienne walked through the front door. She carefully put the bundle on the side table, kicking her shoes off, finding Raihan sitting on the couch, watching a movie. She plopped herself down beside him, snuggling up to him. Raihan smiled, kissing her forehead as he rubbed her arm. 

“I was wondering when you’d be getting home.” He told her, going back to watching his movie. 

“There was a change in plans, sorry. I should have messaged you…” 

She felt his chest rise as he chuckled. 

“It’s alright. You’re home safe, that’s all that matters.” 

They were silent for a while, watching the movie together. It was some historical action movie Raihan loved. He used to make her watch it with him all the time when they were kids. She smiled at the memory then it disappeared, going back to the last comment he made. She didn’t like worrying her brother. It made her feel like she was causing him problems now she was home. She hugged his waist tighter, staring at the television. 

“Raihan…?” she mumbled softly. 

“Hm?” 

“I promise I’ll get my shit together soon and find my own place…” Raihan’s head sharply turned to look down at her. She glanced up and saw the surprise and pain in his eyes. She was taken aback and sat up. “Rai, what’s wrong?”

“You don’t have to find your own place… you can stay here with me.” Raihan turned his head away, staring at either the coffee table or the floor; she couldn’t tell. “I don’t…” 

“You don’t what?” Vivienne brushed his locks out of his face, his eyes were tearing up. 

“I don’t want to be alone anymore…” Raihan’s voice was soft and quiet, different from his usual boisterous tone. 

“You don’t want to be alone…?” 

“I’ve been alone for five years… and when you came back, it made me feel like my family was slowly coming back to me…” He blinked a few times before quickly wiping his eyes before tears could escape. 

“Raihan…” She hugged his neck, he instantly hugged her around the waist, burying his face into his shoulder. “I’ll stay with you, okay…? You don’t have to be alone anymore… I’m sorry…” Raihan merely nodded, holding his sister tighter. She ran her hands through his hair, humming softly, kissing the top of his head. “You’re the best big brother ever…” 

“I guess you’re alright for a sister…” He teased, his voice muffled against her shoulder. She whacked the back of his head gently, smiling. 

He pulled away, going back to his movie, smiling. Vivienne went back to snuggling up against his shoulder. Her eyes began to feel heavy, fighting to keep them open. 

“I love you, Rai…” She mumbled sleepily, her eyes finally closing. 

“I love you too, Viv.” He heard soft snoring and glanced down, seeing Vivienne passed out. 

He chuckled, shaking his head finishing the rest of his movie. When it was over, he turned the tv off, carefully standing up. He picked Vivienne up like he used to do when she fell asleep on the couch and took her to her room, carefully putting her down on the bed. He pulled the blankets over her, brushing her bangs out of her face gently. She smiled in her sleep, snuggling up to her pillow. Raihan smiled down at her before he walked out, closing the door behind him. 

_ Zinnia was five and wringing her hands as she stared at the ground. Her aunt and new uncle were leaving for Galar after their visit. Zinnia didn’t want her aunt to leave. She was the most important person in her life, almost like a mother to her since her parents died. She stood next to her grandmother as Aster hugged her mother tightly. Aster turned to Zinnia and smiled sweetly yet sadly down at the girl. She knelt down in front of Zinnia, brushing her dark locks out of the girl’s face before booping her nose. Zinnia giggled lightly, finally meeting her aunt’s eyes.  _

_ “Don’t be sad, my darling. I’ll make sure to visit again real soon, and you’ll have a baby cousin by then.” Aster smiled lovingly at the child.  _

_ “But I don’t want you to go…” Zinnia’s eyes teared up, sniffling. “I want you to stay here with me…”  _

_ Aster’s loving expression turned to absolute heartbreak, not wanting to see her niece cry. This was probably the hardest thing she ever had to do.  _

_ “I know, my darling… but Uncle Draken has to go back to Hammerlocke, and I have to go with him…” _

_ “It’s not fair…” Zinnia folded her arms across her chest, pouting. “I loved you first.”  _

_ “Oh sweetheart, you’ll always be my favorite little flower...Just because we’re apart doesn’t mean I won’t love you any less… that just means I’ll love you even more.”  _

_ “R-really?” Tears had started running down her face.  _

_ “Of course, sweetheart.” Aster brushed Zinnia’s tears away with her thumb. She took off her bracelet, smiling at the girl. “I’ll come visit as often as I can, but I have one job for you. You think you can handle it?”  _

_ Zinnia nodded, staring up weepily. She never wanted to disappoint her aunt. Not in a million years. Aster carefully took Zinnia’s hand and put her Lore Keeper bracelet around her tiny wrist. Zinnia’s eyes widened, recognizing it instantly.  _

_ “Now, grandmother is going to train you to be the best Lore Keeper ever since I can’t be here to take care of things. So when you’re big like me, you’ll be ready to protect our people’s history and the world’s history. I see so much greatness in you Zinnia.”  _

_ “You do…?”  _

_ “Mhm, I do...I’ve seen it… but Zinnia, I want you to remember one thing.”  _

_ “What’s that…?”  _

_ “No matter how far apart we are, I will always be with you in here.” She pointed towards Zinnia’s heart. “And I’ll love you to the moon and all the way back…”  _

_ Fresh tears fell down Zinnia’s face as she wrapped her arms around Aster’s neck tightly. Aster embraced her tightly, picking the girl up in her arms, rocking her carefully. Zinnia kissed all over her face, giggles escaping from Aster.  _

_ “I love you too…” Zinnia mumbled shyly. She then lifted her head, looking into her aunt’s soft brown eyes. “Can I have a girl cousin? There’s too many boys...”  _

_ Aster laughed, pouting cutely. Her pout always made Zinnia laugh.  _

_ “I’m afraid I have no control in that matter, my darling, but we’ll see. Can you say good-bye to Uncle Draken?”  _

_ Zinnia stared up at the towering man beside her aunt. He had long black locks tied back and a warm smile that showed off his fangs. He reminded Zinnia of a dragon with bright blue eyes. Zinnia reached her arms out for him and he swooped her up in his arms, kissing her cheek.  _

_ “Good bye, sweetheart.” Zinnia thought he had a funny accent. It was different from what she was used to.  _

_ “You better treat my aunt like a princess… she is a very nice lady…” Zinnia pouted, playing with his necklace he had on.  _

_ Draken tilted his head, smiling warmly down at Zinnia, resting his forehead against hers.  _

_ “Dragons fall in love with princesses all the time in story books. You don’t have to worry about that, sweetheart.”  _

_ “They do…? I thought they locked them away?”  _

_ “Oh no no, that’s a common misconception. Not all dragons do that. Dragons love beautiful things and want to keep them safe from evil sorcerers and kings. You can understand why we fall in love with beautiful princesses?” Zinnia nodded before hugging his neck. He kissed the top of her head, stroking her hair gently. “I’ll make sure she comes back and sees you as often as we can, alright?”  _

Zinnia sat there, staring down at her bracelet. She smiled sadly, leaning her back against the wall. She was in Sootopolis City, sitting in an alley, waiting for Everett to come out of the building. She had followed him to the shadier side of the city that no one talked about. It had been about an hour since he went in. Zinnia stood up quietly when she heard the doors open. She pulled two small spheres out of her pocket, pressing a button on the side of her glasses. The spheres hovered over her palm, Zinnia could see herself on the screen inside her lenses. She grinned. 

“Thank Arceus for stolen Magma tech…” 

The little drone flew away to spy on the people walking out. It was in fact Everett standing with a short woman with red hair and a taller woman with purple hair. They were both wearing strange grey uniforms with the letter ‘G’ imprinted on them. Zinnia could see Everett had, what looked like, a high-tech briefcase in his hand. She listened in carefully on their conversation. 

“I don’t understand why you didn’t have your little pet fetch these for you.” The taller woman fixed the bun resting on the back of her neck. “Or have her fetch intel for you. I thought her father was an expert on lore.” 

“Like I explained earlier, Jupiter, the stupid bitch left me. And her father doesn’t like me after I asked him too many questions about the forbidden texts spread out through the world.”

Zinnia’s fists clenched, her body trembling from anger. That was her cousin he was talking about. The fact that he used her made her want to step out and beat the shit out of him. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself. Zinnia was sure he was the one who stole the forbidden texts now.

_ Nope… you can’t kick his ass now… you have to figure out what he’s up to first and get the texts back…  _

“That sounds like that’s your problem.” Jupiter sighed, bored. “Well, you got your plates. We’ll be on our way. Come along, Mars. I hope you keep your side of the bargain, Everett. These are forces that should not be reckoned with.” 

“Yes, yes, I’ll get your precious Cyrus out of the Distortion World. You have my word, cross my heart, la dee la dee da.” Everett rolled his eyes. 

“This is no joke, Everett. We’ve attempted something similar to your plans, and it ended poorly for us.” Mars warned him, placing her hands on her hips. 

“Well, whatever happened with you, won’t happen with me. Galar is full of morons… they won’t know what hit them.” 

“So sure about that?” Jupiter sounded skeptical. “Their champion holds the World Champion title, the strongest Champion in the world.” 

“Bah… even the strongest champion must have a weakness… I just have to find it. You know the saying… the bigger they are, the harder they fall.” 

“Well, you have fun doing that. You just keep to your end of the deal because if you don’t…” She slowly approached him, her heels clicking on the stone street. She towered over Everett, leaning forward to get in his face, a dark glint in her eyes. “I’m a firm believer in karma… and those who break my trust will regret it…” She stood up straight and walked past him, bumping purposely into his shoulder. “Come along, Mars. We’re done here.” 

Mars shot Everett one last glance before walking after her fellow commander. Everett smirked smugly, peering over his shoulder as he watched them disappear down the steps. He scoffed, rolling his eyes once more. 

“A bunch of superstitious bull shit… so desperate to get their precious leader back… Oh well. I got what I wanted, and they’ll all bow to me when it's all said and done. People will start taking me seriously then.” 

He chuckled darkly as he headed off towards his home, the briefcase close to his side. Zinnia got chills from the dark look in his piercing pale green eyes. Zinnia’s spy spheres returned to her palm, having recorded the entire conversation. He was talking about possibly taking over the entire world. She pulled off her glasses, putting them carefully on top of her head, placing the spheres in her pocket. 

“This doesn’t sound good at all…” She mumbled to herself. 

The sun was getting low in the sky. She decided to head home to do more research on the plates and the people Everett was speaking to. Checking that the cost was clear, she released Salamence and mounted its back, stroking its neck. 

“Alright, boy… let’s head home… we still have work to do.” 

The dragon pokemon cried out softly before taking off, heading in the direction of Meteor Falls. Zinnia couldn’t help but worry that her cousins and the world were in danger once again, and she wasn’t sure how anyone was going to stop it this time around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... y'all got a little bit of everything in this chapter... I wonder what Everett is up to. 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️


	16. Keep on Keeping On With Bad Feelings

Chapter Sixteen

“So, Viv…” 

Vivienne glanced up from her books spread all over the bed at the sound of Bea’s voice coming from her laptop. She was video chatting with Nessa and Bea since that was the easiest way to hang out during the season. Vivienne was leaning against the headboard of her bed, snuggled up in sweats and Leon’s jacket she forgot to give him back the night before. It still smelled like him, making her feel safe and like he was there with her. 

“Yes?” Vivienne took a sip of her water, placing the cup back on her nightstand. 

“Who was the mystery guy you were with yesterday?” Bea inquired slowly with a grin on her face. 

“Mystery guy?” Nessa piped in, looking up from painting her toenails. 

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.” Vivienne lowered her head quickly, flipping to the next page. 

“Nah ah ah. You’re not pulling that on me. You were with a guy, he had sunglasses on, a hat, and the jacket you have on now.” 

“Alright, Sherlock, you figured it out. I can hang out with people of the opposite sex. Woo hoooo.” 

“That is true, but you had the heart eyes gawking at this guy.” Bea smirked playfully. 

“Wait, so is there someone other than Leon?” Nessa’s voice was filled with confusion. “Like, you both were giving each other the look.” 

Vivienne slowly at her friend’s through her eyelashes, biting at her lip. Their eyes were wide, mouths partially agape as they made the connection. 

“Hop was really excited to see this mystery guy…” Bea mumbled. 

“Oh my Arceus… are you fucking Leon?” Nessa blurted out. 

“Okay, blunt, but no, I’m not fucking anyone,” Vivienne felt her ears burning.

“Oh my Arceus, you are.” 

“Leon and I haven’t had sex yet, o- fuck…” Vivienne groaned, hiding her face in her hands. 

“Gotchya.” Nessa smirked. 

“Teamwork makes the dream work, baby.” Bea snickered. 

Vivienne wanted to curl up and die. No one was supposed to know outside of Leon’s family. If Raihan found out before Leon and her could figure out a way to tell him… her boyfriend might as well feed himself to Raihan’s dragon pokemon. 

“Please don’t tell anyone it’s him…” Vivienne mumbled into her hands. 

“But honey, why? Why didn’t you just tell us?” Nessa cooed softly. She may have seemed cold to others, but she was soft and kind when not being harassed by the paparazzi or when the Chairman wasn’t hounding her to quit modelling. 

“Because if anyone lets it slip around Raihan, Raihan is literally going to kill Leon.” 

“Raihan wouldn’t-” Bea paused. “Would he…?” 

“Well… his best friend is dating his sister… that kind of goes against bro code, at least I think… guys have… weird systems of thinking.” Nessa answered slowly, grimacing. 

“Yup… yup, they do… and I’d like my boyfriend to live. He’s very pretty and sweet to me and gives really warm hugs… and just so many other things…”

Vivienne curled up and hid her face in her hands, seeing the stupid smiles on her friends’ faces. She surely would have been attacked with hugs from both sides if they were both present. 

“Boyfriend? Boyfriend??? Oh, Arceus, this is so good.” 

“That would explain why Leon’s been happier at League meetings now.” Bea added, Vivienne’s head perking up. 

“Happier…?” 

“Leon’s good at putting on a face for people, so seeing him genuinely happy for a change is refreshing.” Bea explained carefully. “Now we know the reason for it!” 

“Like, he still has his bad days, but he’s definitely doing better. Same goes for you, Viv. You look a lot happier since you’ve been home.” 

“Yeah…?” Vivienne couldn’t help smiling. That was reassuring that things may actually be getting better for her for once. 

“Of course.” Bea beamed. “You’re home with Raihan again, and I’m not going to deny that you’re dating one of the most caring people out there.” 

“But you both need to tell Raihan sooner than later,” Nessa’s eyebrows narrowed. “It would avoid a lot of issues if he found out other ways.” 

“I know… I know… I just-” Vivienne paused, hesitating. Her smile faded to a grimace, staring down at her books. 

Bea and Nessa watched her carefully, waiting. 

“What, Viv…?” Bea’s voice was softer than before. 

“I just- I just don’t want to jinx it… every time I’m happy about something or someone and tell somebody about it, it always ends up getting ruined…” 

“Vivienne…this time is going to be different, okay?” Nessa reassured her, smiling softly. 

“Yeah… I hope so.” 

Rotom flew off her nightstand, chirping at her. 

“ _ Dad is calling you. _ ” It chirped at her. 

“Hey, guys, I’ll talk to you later. My dad’s calling.” 

“Alright. Bye, Viv. Love you.” They both waved, smiling. 

“Love you too, guys.” She closed her laptop and answered the phone, putting it on speaker. “Hey, dad!” 

“Hello, sweetheart.” The voice was smooth and deeper than Raihan’s. “I hope I didn’t wake you.” 

“Oh no, it’s a little too early for that. I was video chatting Bea and Nessa.” Vivienne reassured him quickly, not wanting him to hang up. She missed hearing his voice. 

“Bea and Nessa? How are they doing?” 

“They’re doing great. They’re both Leaders now.” Her voice dropped with the last sentence. 

Everyone had their lives put together. All her friends were Leaders now, her brother was the Leader and the Guardian of the Vault, and then there was Vivienne. The definition of shattered dreams and indecision. She knew from the beginning she’d never be the Hammerlocke Leader or Guardian. She knew that from the day she was born, and it never bothered her. It never bothered her until she came home. Vivienne was proud and happy for all her friends, but it felt at times like she didn’t have a purpose in life. It felt like she was only meant to be on the sidelines, living in everyones shadow. But there was something deep inside her that knew she was meant for something greater, to be great like everyone in her life. Whatever it was, it wasn’t making itself known to her or anyone. 

“Vivienne? Are you alright, sweetheart?” Her father’s voice broke up her thoughts. 

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” 

“Hm… I don’t buy that for a second, but I won’t push it for now.” 

Vivienne sighed. She was usually good at lying, but when it came to her dad and the girls, she sucked at it. 

“Anyway, I finally took a look at all your photos you sent.” He continued, clearing his throat. “I’m quite impressed with your finds, Kaida.” 

Vivienne perked up at her middle name. Her dad only called her that, and it had been a long time since he used it. 

“Y-yeah? Was it Zacian and Zamazenta with the two kings?” 

“You would be correct. A lot of that history was lost throughout time from wars and fires and what not, so it was forgotten over the years. Apparently 3,000 years ago, there were two brothers. Eternatus was struggling to stay alive and drained all of Galar’s energy, creating the black storm we dubbed the Darkest Day. It’s said the two brothers stopped the Darkest Day, but myself and few other colleagues believe Zacian and Zamazenta were called upon by the kings and saved Galar and the world from destruction. The sword and shield you found in the weald seem to fit that time period and resemble the ones that the two pokemon are holding in the statue. This is truly a breakthrough in the historical field.” 

“Wow… Now if people would take me seriously…” Vivienne grumbled. 

“Kaida, sweetheart… don’t get discouraged. This is a hard field to get into…” 

“I know more than all those old twats, and they just laugh and ignore me.” Vivienne growled out her words, knowing that wasn’t the reason no one took her seriously. “I’m not you or m-” 

She stopped before she could finish. Her dad also shut down when she mentioned her mum. She didn’t want that to happen, not right now. Vivienne just wanted to talk to her dad, and she was ruining it by putting herself down. She waited for him to speak, the other end of the call completely silent for a few moments. She thought he hung up before he spoke up.

“I don’t expect you  _ or  _ your brother to be me or-or your mother. I want you both to just be yourselves. I’m proud of both of my children.” 

_ You wouldn’t be proud of me if you knew about the dancer bit…  _ She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to push the reminder out of her head. 

“So, the Darkest Day stopped by Zacian and Zamazenta…” Vivienne refocused the topic, hearing her father sigh heavily over the phone. Their biggest flaw: closing themselves off from people. 

“Yes, they are the ones who stopped it, but Vivienne… I would watch who you tell about this information.” 

Vivienne grimaced, hearing his usual strong voice faltered with worry. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, Zinnia texted me.” Draken hesitated. 

“Zinnia? 

“She mentioned Everett was discussing it with shady characters.” Everett’s name came out of her father’s mouth like venom. 

“Zinnia did mention to me about him being up to something…” Her voice trailed off. 

“Well, whatever the reason, I don’t appreciate parasites like him, who use my daughter, discussing this topic with anyone that could potentially unleash that nightmare.” 

“Everett didn’t use me.” Her tone was defensive, her eyes narrowed. “I don’t-I don’t let people use me…” 

“You can tell yourself that all you want, sweetheart, but he used you to get to me so I could tell him about destruction myths.” 

“That’s not-” She let out a shaky breath, feeling her chest tighten. “He did… didn’t he…?” 

Draken was silent. She took a deep breath, exhaling heavily, attempting to ground herself once more. 

“Just be careful who you discuss this with… If Zacian and Zamazenta still exist, I don’t want someone getting their hands on them… they are said, in legend, to be fierce warriors. I don’t want to think about their power getting into the wrong hands.” 

“I’ll keep it in mind…” 

“Vivienne, are you sure you’re alright?” 

“Just… everything seems to be going right for once since I’ve been home… and I can’t shake this feeling that everything is going to crash and burn…” 

“Well, I would just… take things step by step and breathe. You’ve been away for so long, it’s probably overwhelming.” 

“Yeah, it is a bit…but, on the bright side, Raihan and I are putting on the Dragon Festival in a few weeks.” 

“You both are?” He sounded surprised. “That’s wonderful.”

“Yeah, I’m excited. I’m doing a Dragon Dance and Draconid presentation for it.” She paused. “I wish you were here to see it…” 

“I know, sweetheart… I know…” He fell silent. “I have to go. We’ll talk again soon, alright, sweetheart?” 

“O-okay, dad… I’ll talk to you later… I love you.” 

“I love you too, Kaida.” 

The call ended. 

Rotom flew over and rested on the nightstand as Vivienne gathered all her stuff on the bed, placing them on the desk. She crawled under the covers, checking the time on her phone. It was 9:37. Usually she didn’t go to bed this early, but she was mentally and emotionally drained from the day. The weight of the blankets and the faint scent of Leon’s cologne on his jacket was keeping her grounded and calm. 

“You’re more fucked up than you thought you were, Viv…” she muttered to herself before her eyes grew heavy and sleep took over. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vivienne, I'm so sorry for putting my personal bull shit on you, sweetheart. xD 
> 
> A bit of a shorter chapter because I didn't want to rush the one part. 
> 
> Kaida means Little Dragon. I was going to use it as a nickname, but I like the idea of that being her middle name because she's daddy's little dragon. 
> 
> Also, sorry for like... the delay. This chapter was not coming to me at all, and I may or may not spent all of yesterday evening drawing kiiiind of NSFW fanart for this fic... that I may share wit you all... maybe. 
> 
> Also, here I am using also too any times again and making playlists again. Leon's was a bitch to make because I couldn't get a good read on him, but now I got it, and it's my favorite playlist now. 
> 
> Leon's Playlist  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4wrPxaGCKii8Ynq8SQNs7u?si=mlGK4ZviTQaEfojHasvX4g
> 
> Vivienne's Playlist  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4dvLQ3Qn0hXvFE0H7y4Lqd?si=iBajpIBLSX6H8mOgujAagg


	17. Draken Gray and The Lost Shadowbinder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title... is in fact based of Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark...

Chapter Seventeen

Three Weeks Later: 

Zinnia was crouched down behind cargo, peering over it. The sun was setting, the lights beginning to flicker on for the evening. She had followed Everett to an old airstrip. Planes with passengers rarely landed there anymore. It was mostly used for training purposes or the occasional shipment drop off. There was a plane waiting for him on the strip. Two people in sport-like uniforms stood at attention, flanking the steps up to the plane door. One approached Everett. 

“Good evening, sir. The Chairman sends his regards. He will be awaiting our arrival once we’ve reached Galar Airspace. He had other matters that needed dealt with before you arrived.” 

“Figures.” Everett handed the man a duffel bag. “Make sure that is secure and no one touches it. Those texts and plates are worth more than your life. Think you can not fuck that up? It would be a pity if something so simple ruined the plans for unleashing the Darkest Day, now wouldn’t it?” 

“Y-yes, sir. I’ll handle it personally, sir. You won’t have to worry about a thing.” 

Zinnia watched the man disappear into the plane. It took Zinnia every ounce of her being not to charge onto that plane and snatch the bag from Everett’s greedy hands. Her eyes narrowed, her knuckles turning white from digging her nails into her palms. 

“I knew it… that son of a bitch stole the books…” Zinnia mumbled to herself. 

She continued watching, seeing he had another briefcase in his hand. He kept them close to him, not allowing the other staff member to take it. 

“I’ll hold onto this one… this one is far more important.” Everett’s voice was lower, a hint of the Galarian accent slipping out. 

“Of course, sir.” The woman responded, nodding her head as he began to walk up the stairs. 

A heavy feeling, like someone was behind her, caused Zinnia to tense up. Slowly turning around, she glanced up and saw another uniform guy hovering over her with his arms crossed, glowering down at her. She didn’t know how she missed this guy as she scanned the area earlier, but she knew she was in trouble. He went to grab her. Being shorter and smaller, she was faster, rolling out of the way, hopping to her feet. Before he could turn around, she kicked him in the crotch, watching him crumple forward before slamming his head into the cargo. She was running by the time he hit the ground. Everett and the other staff member heard the commotion, seeing Zinnia running. Grabbing her pokeball, she released Salamence, leaping onto its back. It flew off, Zinnia looking back as the guy she knocked down was stumbling to his feet. 

The woman growled, reaching for a pokeball when Everett raised his hand. She stopped. 

“Don’t waste your time on her. We’re already five minutes behind schedule, and I’ll be getting an earful from the bitch secretary if I’m late.” Everett scoffed at the man Zinnia beat up, shaking his head. “Tsk, tsk, tsk… got your ass handed to by a woman… truly pathetic.” 

Everett stepped into the plane, the woman fighting back a snarl as she helped the man onto the plane. 

When Zinnia thought they were safe, she turned to Salamence, stroking its neck. 

“Buddy, I need to get to Fallarbor Town now. You know where to go.” 

Salamence nodded as he flew as fast as he could.

When they got to Fallarbor Town, the sun had set and the stars were beginning to glitter in the sky. Salamence landed in front of a house outside of Fallarbor town. Zinnia hopped off the pokemon’s back, returning it to its pokeball. The curtains were drawn shut, Zinnia unable to see if anyone was home as she hurried up to the door.

_ He has to be home. He has to be.  _

She started knocking on the door. No one answered.

“Uncle! Uncle, answer the door! It’s Zinnia.” 

No one answered still. Zinnia began to panic and frustrated. Ever since her aunt’s death, it was like her uncle disappeared completely from her life. She tried calling him, visiting him, texting him, but he never responded to her. It was like he died the day her aunt died. It hurt Zinnia a lot. Her pounds on the door became more aggressive. 

“Uncle Draken, open this damn door right now! I know you’re home! Stop shutting me out, please. Please…”

Zinnia’s voice faltered as she rested her forehead against the door. The tears were beginning to well up in her eyes. She dug her nails into her palms, releasing a shaky breath. 

_ I just want you to answer the damn door… Please... _

Inside, Draken stepped out of his room, drying his long locks with a towel. He pushed his glasses back into place as someone knocked aggressively at his door. His brows furrowed, wondering who would be knocking at this time. Then he heard the voice and froze. 

“Uncle Draken, open this damn door right now! I know you’re home! Stop shutting me out, please. Please… If not for me, then for Vivienne and Raihan… I think they could be in trouble, and I need your help… please, open the door… please, I can’t do this by myself...” 

His chest tightened hearing the strength in her voice fade. He never meant to hurt Zinnia this way, but he couldn’t bring himself to face her. Not after Aster, and not after leaving Raihan alone. He failed all his children, including Zinnia. He went day by day thinking he could escape all the heartbreak and pain, but in the end, he was the same broken man he was five years ago. He allowed his family to fall apart, and it was all his fault for running. The knocking ceased as he hesitated, eyeing the door carefully, deciding whether or not he answered the door. 

Zinnia waited for, what felt like minutes, the door to open, for a response, something. But there was no response. She sighed heavily, pushing herself off the door. The door opened as she began turning to leave. Her head snapped back, craning her head back to eye the towering figure in front of her. Long, dark locks that were beginning to grey and a well-kempt beard framed his sharp features as bright cerulean eyes met hers. If she didn’t know better, she would have almost believed her cousin was standing before her. Being five foot four inches tall, her cousins’ and uncle’s height always intimidated her to an extent. Just their mere height and energy radiated power. Zinnia had to remind herself to breathe, shock taking over. She didn’t expect him to answer the door. 

Draken pulled at the towel around his neck, clearing his throat and his eyes darting away as soon as they met Zinnia’s. He rubbed the back of his head, stepping aside. Zinnia stepped into the house timidly. The smell of a pleasant scented incense filled the air. She thought the place would be a mess, but it was surprisingly tidy with the exception of the coffee and dining room tables being covered with books, manuscripts, papers, and a laptop. Photographs were scattered along the wall; they were mostly of Vivienne, Raihan, and Zinnia over the years, a collection of newspaper clippings and photos of Raihan battling in Galar, and the last one was of her uncle and aunt. Her uncle was happy and bright in the photo, now he just appeared tired and lost. 

She turned her attention back to Draken when she heard the door close. Draken stepped past her, tying half of his locks up into a bun as he walked over to the dining room table. He closed the books, pilling them neatly before moving onto organizing his papers. 

“Since when do you burn incense…?” Zinnia spoke first, the silence was heavy in the room. 

“We used to always burn incense, but my therapist said it would help with stress and sleep.” He nonchalantly shrugged, closing his laptop as he finished organizing his paper mess. He still wouldn’t look at Zinnia. “You sounded upset, what’s going on?”

“I’m upset about a lot of things, but I’m not going into that right now.” Her tone was sharper than intended, seeing Draken’s eyes close, lowering his head. “I came because I think Everett is up to something.” 

“Everett? What did that piece of shit do this time?” He spat, his eyes narrowing. 

“He left for Galar with stolen texts and plates and one other thing he didn’t want others touching, something to do with the Darkest Day and altering time. I don’t know, sounds like bad shit to me,” Zinnia placed her hands on her hips. “And I don’t like the idea of him going anywhere near Vivienne and Raihan, that’s why I came since you probably wouldn’t have answered had I called or texted you.”

Draken stood there, gripping the back of the chair. He slowly closed his eyes, knowing he had that coming. Taking a deep breath, Draken turned and looked at Zinnia. 

“Zinnia-” 

“Actually no, we’re going to get this out now since I’ve brought it up. I’ve called you. I’ve tried seeing you. I’ve sent you texts that you leave on read. I’m your niece, and you shut me out. You made me feel like I did something wrong. Did I do something to hurt you? Did I fail you in some way? Please, just tell me because I’m surprised you even let me in and I’m just mentally exhausted right now from all the bull shit that’s been going on.” 

“Sweetheart, no, you didn’t do anything wrong. I-” 

“Then why did you just shut me out? Why did you-” 

“Because I couldn’t face you after Aster-” He sighed heavily, sitting down on the chair defeatedly. He stared down at his hands, clenching them. “After Aster died…” 

Zinnia’s expression softened, taken aback by his response. It didn’t make sense to her. The last time she really saw her uncle was her aunt’s funeral, and he didn’t talk to anyone at that time. She sat down in the chair beside him. 

“What do you mean you couldn’t face me?” Zinnia kept her voice soft and calm, seeing how defeated he looked. 

“I should have done more for her… I just felt helpless that I couldn’t do more to save her. I thought you’d-” Draken rubbed his face, finding it hard to discuss it with people still. 

“You-you thought I was angry with you over Aunt Aster’s death…?” He nodded weakly, averting his eyes once more. “Uncle Draken… she was sick… you can’t blame yourself for that… it wasn’t your fault. You did everything you could for her. We all know that. You would have done anything for her...”

Draken sat there silently, shaking his head lightly. Everyone told him it wasn’t his fault, but he couldn’t help thinking it was. It was one of the main reasons why he hadn’t been to Galar since he left. Everywhere he went back home were haunted by memories of his wife, and it took him to a dark place he never wanted to be again. 

“Zinnia, I’m so sorry…” His jaw was clenched, trying to hold himself together. “I failed all of you…” 

“No, you didn’t fail us…” Zinnia stood up and hugged his neck. “You still have us… And I think auntie would give you an earful if she heard you talk like that.” 

Draken hesitated, not expecting the hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close to him. A small smile crept onto Zinnia’s face. She didn’t realize how much she missed his hugs. She held him tighter, resting her head on top of his. He chuckled softly, resting his chin on her shoulder. 

“She’d actually raise hell.” Draken mumbled, kissing Zinnia’s temple. He pulled back and his face was serious this time. “Does Vivienne know Everett is heading to Galar?” 

“No, I got caught spying and came here right away.” Zinnia rubbed the back of her neck. “I have to get those texts back… no one is allowed to even open them.” 

“Texts? What texts did he steal?” 

“In the archives, we have a section locked off for our forbidden texts. The ones that were stolen involved space, time, and an old Galarian authors text about dimensions.” 

“An old Galarian text on dimensions? What did this book look like…?” Draken had never heard of a text like that in Galar history, but he had an uneasy feeling he knew what she was talking about. 

“Um… it had a black leather cover… the spine was a red, bone-like structure… there was a sigil on the front of it with writing on it, but no one could translate it. Grandmother, Aunt Aster, and the others always seemed nervous when I would bring it up. They told me that it was about dimensions and that I should stay away from it.” 

Draken stood up suddenly, hurrying over to the coffee table, searching for something amongst the books and papers. Zinnia watched him, alarmed by his sudden movements. He readjusted his glasses on his face, murmuring to himself as he flipped through the pages of a book. He stopped on a page and brought it over to Zinnia, placing it on the table. It was the exact book Zinnia had described. 

“Was it this book?” He shoved his hands into his pockets, watching Zinnia carefully. 

“Yeah, that’s the book.” She pointed at it, looking up to see the color begin to leave his face. “Uncle Draken? What’s wrong?” 

“That is not a book of dimensions. You were lied to for a reason. That is what we historians call the Shadowbinder. It’s an ancient grimoire of black magic written by a malicious sorcerer by the name Ulrik Krauss during the beginning of the middle ages. He supposedly found a way that he could summon legendary pokemon and control them with the wishing stars that fell from the sky throughout Galar.” 

“Wishing stars?” Zinnia tilted her head. “Like meteorites? I know a thing or two about meteors and meteorites.” 

“Not necessarily. These wishing stars are supposedly pieces of the legendary pokemon Eternatus’s body when it was defeated 3,000 years ago.” Draken opened his laptop and opened a document, scrolling through it. “I’m not supposed to share this information with anyone because it’s all subjective and hasn’t been proven yet, but with Vivienne’s finds and what you’ve given me, we may prove those old fucks wrong.” 

“Okay, Raihan.” She teased, folding her arms across her chest. 

Draken glanced up at her from behind his glasses then went back to scrolling before he stopped, pointing at the screen at an old painting of a large skeletal dragon pokemon with two kings facing it. 

“Eternatus is the source to all the dynamx and gigantamax energy in Galar, the phenomenon that allows a pokemon to distort space to change in size while also changing the atmosphere around it. From the history books, it’s said two brothers, who eventually became the kings of Galar, defeated Eternatus, however,” He scrolled down to the photo Vivienne had taken of the statue and beside it was a woven tapestry of two wolf like pokemon. “ Myself and a few of my colleagues believe the kings themselves didn’t save Galar, it was in fact the legendary pokemon Zacian and Zamazenta that defeated Eternatus. You see, in records from the Darkest Day, they claim that warriors tried attacking the creature with their pokemon, but none of the pokemon’s moves worked, some sort of energy negated it. Well, with bits and pieces of what we know about Zacian and Zamazenta, they had the ability to negate this energy source protecting Eternatus.” 

“What do the wishing stars have to do with this?” 

“I’m getting there.” Draken opened a video of a Dynamax battle, Zinnia’s eyes widening, never seeing something like that in the Hoenn region. “Professor Magnolia has found a way to control the Dynamax energy at the hotspots throughout Galar to allow trainers to harness the energy to Dynamax their pokemon. Now, rewind about 1500 years ago, someone who could harness that energy through dark magic, allowing someone to practically summon what people considered to be gods, these superior pokemon. You would be considered a god amongst men for harnessing such power: to expand oceans and continents, distort time and space, create new worlds, destroy the world and start all over again. Ulrik Krauss was presumed to have this power leading to the Galarian’s beheading and burning his body in the middle of Hammerlocke city. Now, when authorities ransacked his house to find the book and burn it, it was nowhere in sight. It is said that a follower of his, Sceledrus Sephiran took the book and ran. When he was caught, he wouldn’t share the whereabouts of the book and was burnt at the stake, the book’s location dying with Sceledrus. That is until forty-five years ago when, by chance, a couple stumbled across an old foundation and the book was hidden inside, in perfect condition, as though it was new. When news got around, the book was stolen one night from the castle, and no one was able to find it after that. It explains a lot how your people would have kept it locked away. I’m not one for book burnings, but that book… that book should not exist. And in the wrong hands… Zinnia, it doesn’t end well.” 

“So you’re telling me… this book is evil and could make someone practically into a god… and now captain dick bag has this book…and that’s not a good thing. Did I get that all?”

“Oh with his Napolean complex, that son of a bitch is going to fuck everything up.” Draken shut his laptop. 

“So we need to get to Galar now.” Zinnia told him, heading towards the door. She stopped when she didn’t hear him following her. She turned around and saw him still sitting in his chair. “Well? Come on.” 

“Zinnia, I can’t go back there.” 

“What? Of course you can. You just told me he’s going to fuck shit up. You can’t just tell someone your cousin’s crazy ex is going to fuck shit up with some hocus pocus shit, then not go stop it. Like Raihan and Vivienne are there, they could be in danger.” She took a deep breath, releasing it slowly to calm herself down. She knew it was going to be hard for him going back there. “Uncle Draken… I know back in your home it reminds you a lot of Aunt Aster… I get it, I do. It’s hard for me too, thinking she’s going to show up one day on one of her visits, or remembering places she used to take me when I was younger… but you don’t have to do it alone… and your kids need you. They need their dad still, and I think it’s time you stopped running from the past. You belong there with them, and if we don’t stop Everett in whatever he’s up to, we’re all going to lose more people we love and care about… and I don’t have many of those left.” 

Draken sat there, his arms folded across his chest. He sat there for a good while, thinking. He knew he couldn’t run away from home forever. He couldn’t do that to Raihan anymore. He could only imagine what Raihan must have felt after all these years with only phone and video calls, all the responsibility he threw onto a fifteen year old who just lost his mother, taking Vivienne with him. This was hard enough being away from his children, but the emotional damage he caused his children hurt the most. Standing up slowly, he sighed. 

“We’ll head to the airport in the morning…” Draken’s voice was low. 

“Why not now?” Zinnia put her hands on her hips, patience not being her strong virtue.

“Why not now? Well, for starters, I’m tired and need to pack a bag, and you need to tell your grandmother that you’re coming with me.” 

“But, uncle-” 

“No buts.” His voice was firm and authoritative, his eyes narrowed like a dragon’s. It was the look that made Zinnia and her cousins behave when they were younger. She was surprised it still had an effect on her as an adult. “Your grandmother has lost enough children, and this could wind up being dangerous. I think she at least deserves an explanation as to why you’re leaving the country out of respect.” 

Zinnia sighed, nodding slowly. Her impatient nature always made her forget to think things through properly. 

“Yes, sir… I understand… we’ll head out tomorrow.” 

“Oi, no pouting… come here.” He held out his arms to her, Zinnia instantly walking over, wrapping her arms around his waist. Draken held her close and kissed the top of her head. “It will be alright, sweetheart… I’ll see you in the morning, okay? You let me know when you get home.” 

“I will… I love you, Uncle Draken.” 

“I love you too, my little flower.” 

He smiled down at her, and watched her walk to the door. Zinnia turned back and waved, smiling softly before she walked out the door, closing it behind him. Draken sighed heavily, pulling his glasses off, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. 

“Going to be one of those nights I don’t sleep…” He mumbled to himself, walking into his bedroom. 

The airport was next to the ocean. The wind was furious, waves crashing against the cliffs. The rain hadn’t started yet, but it was getting close to that as the dark clouds rolled in from over the ocean. In the far distance, multiple waterspouts were forming, large whirlpools appearing throughout the dark waters. Lightning flashed while thunder rumbled through the sky. 

Draken and Zinnia were inside the airport, talking to the receptionist at the counter. 

“I’m sorry, sir, but we’re not able to send flights to Galar at this time. The next flight won’t be or two weeks.” The receptionist could not take her eyes off Draken as she spoke. 

“Two weeks?” Draken slowly spoke. 

“Yes, sir…” the young woman responded nervously. 

“Two weeks? But we need to get to Galar now.” Zinnia was getting impatient and angry. 

The receptionist snapped out of her stupor, turning to Zinnia. 

“Miss, I’m sorry, but the Gyrados are causing these storms as part of a mating ritual where the males battle each other. It happens every year around this time. I can assure you that it will be over in two weeks, and you both will have the first available flight.” 

“No, no no no, we need to leave. Now. There has to be some way to get there! Our-” 

“I’m sorry, Miss- what is your name, love?” Draken smoothly interrupted, leaning against the counter. 

The receptionist’s face blushed as his bright blue eyes met hers. 

“Sammi, sir…” She stammered. 

“Sammi? What a lovely name. Miss Sammi, I apologize for my niece’s behavior. We have a bit of a family crisis going on at the moment, so you can understand the stress we’re under right now.” 

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that Mister…” 

“Gray. Draken Gray. You can call me Draken.” He flashed her a fanged smile. 

Zinnia watched with her mouth hanging open from how the receptionist was reacting to her uncle. It was like she was in a trance. The poor girl could have practically been drooling at that moment. 

“Draken… I’m sorry to hear that…” 

“It’s quite alright, love. Unforeseen things happen. That’s life. Now, I don’t want to hold you up any longer today, but could you be a dear and put us in the system for the first available flight that opens up? We would appreciate it, I especially would appreciate it.” 

“Oh-oh of course! Of course I can do that.” 

She turned to her computer and began typing, asking for his contact information for the system. Once Sammi was finished, she turned her attention back to Draken and smiled at him.

“Alright, Mister-”

“Draken, please.” Draken grinned at her, his eyes soft. 

“Alright, D-Draken. I have you in the system, and you’ll be on the first available flight to Wyndon.” 

“Thank you so much, Miss Sammi. It’s been an absolute delight. I apologize for any inconveniences we may have caused you.” 

Draken extended his hand out to her. Sammi slowly took it, her face a bright red now. 

“Oh, no, you didn’t cause any issues. Have a wonderful day.” 

Draken smiled and brought her hand up, kissing the top of her knuckles gently. Zinnia held back a snort as she saw the poor receptionist’s body tense up. 

“It was a pleasure, Miss Sammi. You have a wonderful day, as well.” 

He let go of her hand, heading out the door with Zinnia. Zinnia turned to him as the doors shut. 

“What the hell was that?” She snorted as he rolled his eyes at her question, taking his car keys out of his pockets. 

“Well, you were making the poor girl nervous, the least I could do was be the good cop. Plus, it’s nice to know I still have an effect on women.” 

“I don’t know how Aunt Aster put up with you.” Zinnia raised her voice over the howling wind. 

“Because she was the only woman who had an effect on me.” He responded, stopping. “I’ll get the car, you wait here under cover and try calling Vivienne.”

“Okay, but hurry because I don’t feel like getting wet when the rain starts.” 

Draken sighed, rolling his eyes as he began walking away.

“Now I definitely know which side Raihan got his impatience from…” 

Vivienne was about finished putting her traditional garb on as her Rotom Phone buzzed, flying over to her. She saw it was Zinnia, putting it on speaker as she tied the belt around her waist. 

“Hey, Zinnia! What’s up? I can’t be on long. I’m about to do a presentation.” 

“Viv- _ zzzz _ , Ev- _ zzzzz _ coming to  _ zzzzz _ .” 

Vivienne frowned, not understanding a word her cousin was saying. 

“Zinnia, you’re breaking up on me. What did you say?” 

“Storm he- _ zzz.  _ Ever- _ zzz _ Gal- _ zzz _ .” The call dropped suddenly. 

“Must be a bad storm where she’s at. Oh well, she’ll call me back if it’s important, I guess.” 

“Vivienne? Vivienne?” Zinnia looked down at her phone and growled, seeing the call had failed. She pointed at the ocean, snarling. “Fuck you, Gyrados! Fuck you! Stupid fucking storm. Stupid fucking everything, I swear to-” 

Draken pulled up with the car as the rain began to pelt down. He opened the window, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion having seen her yelling at the ocean. 

“Did you just yell… at the ocean…?” 

“Yes, yes I fucking did.” Zinnia got into the car, slamming the door shut, folding her arms across her chest. 

“Alright then…” Draken shook his head as he drove off, Zinnia staring out the window, hoping Vivienne got her warning before the call ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI. So I may have lied in my last notes. So this was originally going to be only part Zinnia and Draken then right into the Dragon Festival stuff, BUT I HAD TOO MUCH FUN WRITING THIS SCENE once I got my groove on, and oh my God. I'm like super proud of myself. I added like history and shit, and I'm just so happy with this. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I hope the history stuff made sense. Daddy Draken is a fucking nerd. A very sexy nerd. 
> 
> Also, the receptionist is named after my friend Sammi because her reaction to my drawing of Draken was hysterical, and I love her. 
> 
> Also, I drew daddy Draken and what he's wearing in the first part of the chapter. It's not my favorite, and I think I could do a lot better, but I'm also satisfied with it. I posted it on my art blog on tumblr.  
> https://rohirrim-trash1996.tumblr.com/post/620086915050389504/this-is-another-oc-i-created-a-whole-raihan


	18. The Lost Are Never Forgotten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dragon Festival Part One

Chapter Eighteen

Leon stepped into the ballroom at Hammerlocke Castle in his nineteenth century uniform. Others were dressed in similar attire. All the Leaders and Leon himself were able to take this day off to support Raihan and Vivienne since this was something the Hammerlocke Gym Leaders had held during the Challenge Season in the past. Leon was surprised the Chairman allowed them all to request off that day, as it was getting closer to the Semi-Finals. All Leon knew was his Rotom Phone was put on silent, and he wasn’t answering any work calls tonight. This was a night to support his best friend and girlfriend. They needed all the support they could get tonight, it being the anniversary of their mother’s death. This time of year had always been rough on Raihan, and Leon could only imagine how hard it must have been on Vivienne. 

He pushed through the crowd, searching for the other Leaders, when he saw Gordie waving him over. Leon smiled and squeezed through people until he was finally with his friends. Melony turned her head and smiled brightly, seeing Leon finally join them. 

“Hello, Leon sweetheart! You look rather handsome tonight.” 

“Oh, um, thank you, Miss Melony.” He rubbed the back of his head, blushing. 

“I bet his girlfriend will think so, too.” Gordie mumbled to Milo, Milo snickering at his comment before Melony whacked Gordie across the back of the head. “Ooooow, Ma… Why ya gotta hit so hard…?” 

“You know exactly why, Gordie.” Melony folded her arms across her chest, her eyebrows narrowed sternly. 

“That obvious, huh…?” Leon rubbed his neck, cringing at the idea that everyone knew. 

“You and Viv?” Milo laughed lightly. “Yeah, just a bit, mate. But ya don’t need to fear. We haven’t said anything to Raihan, plus he’s too busy to even notice.” 

“Okay, that’s good… I guess…” Leon mumbled under his breath before looking around. “Speaking of Raihan, has anyone seen him yet?” 

“No, no one’s seen him yet.” Kabu added, his arms crossed. “He should be presenting soon.” 

“I just can’t believe Raihan made all  _ this  _ happen.” Nessa peered around the room. “Like all these people showed up and everyone seems happy so far.” 

“Well, this is kind of his thing.” Leon assured her. “My best friend is kind of a nerd. Honestly, they both are huge nerds, but Raihan hides it more than Vivienne does.” 

“That… is true.” Nessa flipped her hair over her shoulder, grinning. 

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” The crowd went silent, everyone staring up at the stage in the middle of the room. 

The other leaders almost didn’t recognize Raihan standing on stage. He was dressed in a long, gray coat that was accented with sky blue, a white top, dark pants, black knee high boots, a cape draped over his shoulders, and a pale purple sash wrapped around his waist. Raihan appeared confident onstage, this was his sort of thing, but Leon knew his best, and he could tell he was nervous. His smile wasn’t meeting his eyes, and his fingers were drumming against his thighs. Everyone remained silent, patiently waiting for him to speak. The atmosphere in the room was heavy because all the people there knew how hard this must have been for Raihan and Vivienne. 

“I would like to begin by saying thank you all for coming out this evening. My sister, Vivienne, and I appreciate it greatly and for everyone’s help; especially to Ms. Cynthia, we could not do all of this without her.” Raihan waited for the applause to die down before he continued. “Those who knew me when I was younger know how much I loved this festival over the years because you all know, dragons are kind of my thing.” He got a few chuckles as he released four of his dragon pokemon, audience members stepping back to give the pokemon space on the floor. “Dragon type pokemon have been a huge part of Hammerlocke’s rich history and have a special place in my family’s heart for many centuries. The Gray family has a long and rich history dating all the way back where we tamed and raised dragons to protect Galar from wars, especially to protect Hammerlocke Castle. They are powerful, beautiful, and majestic beings that range in size from small to the giants we read about in legends and stories. Dragons may seem ferocious and terrifying and come off as hotheads, but they are the most caring, passionate, and protective pokemon you could have in your life.”

Kabu and Melony were standing beside each other in the crowd with the other leaders. Kabu had a small but proud smile on his face as he watched Raihan. He reminded Kabu so much of Draken at that moment. He glanced up at Melony, her face was stoic as she listened, but he could see tears welling up in her eyes. This was hard on Raihan and Vivienne, but this was also a difficult night for Melony and Kabu.

“This festival has honored dragon pokemon for centuries, dating back to before the seventh century, where the people of Galar, especially Hammerlocke citizens, would come and celebrate every year these magical creatures… all except these past few years…” Raihan paused, staring down at the ground, feeling his chest tighten. He took a deep breath before looking up again. “I apologize for not carrying on the tradition these past few years, but this was-this was really my dad and mum’s thing. And when I lost my mum… a lot of you knew my mum and dad and knew the amazing festivals they would put on. A lot of things changed after mum died: my dad resigned and handed all his titles over to me at fifteen, and he moved away with my sister, and I was alone for a long time. You wouldn’t know it from my charming disposition,” A few people laughed at that comment, Raihan trying to ease the tension somewhat. He was trembling. “But I was pretty lost the past few years, and was scared that I wouldn’t measure up to how great my father was when it came to leadership and history presentations. A lot of my Leader friends understand this feeling, becoming Leaders at young ages. It’s a lot.” 

Leon heard sniffling behind him, turning his head to see Gordie wrapping his arm around his mother, holding her close. Melony had tears streaming down her face. Leon glanced at Kabu and saw his eyes watering, trying to hold it together. They had both lost a dear friend, and he could tell that Raihan’s mother’s death affected a lot more people than just the family.

“But then my sister came home, and that made me feel like I was starting to get my family back. She’s actually the one who made me put this whole thing together in two months. Vivienne’s stubborn and once her mind is on something, she’s committed to that idea, and that’s how this became a reality. It was five years ago today that our mother passed away, and my sister wanted us to hold this celebration as a memorial for the most beautiful, kind, caring woman we had the honor of calling our mum. So thank you for being here and honoring our mother with us, and as your Leader, I promise to bring back the joys and celebrations we once enjoyed and were proud of.”

Everyone applauded as Raihan smiled at everyone. He raised his hand, the audience hushed once more.

“Now I would like to invite my sister up on stage for her presentation. I can assure you, hers will be happier.” 

Leon couldn’t help but to smile as he watched Vivienne hop onto stage, dressed in traditional tribal garb, her hair pulled half back. No matter what she wore, Leon thought she was still the most beautiful woman in the room. She walked over to Raihan, the crowd murmuring as she crossed the stage. She hugged Raihan’s waist tightly when she reached him. It was evident she had been crying, her cheeks flushed and wet. When she pulled away she waved at everyone with the brightest smile on her face. 

“Hello, everyone!” Vivienne greeted enthusiastically. “Last time a lot of you saw me was when I was about a foot shorter and a lot quieter. Today is a day of celebration and remembering our mother while also honoring the dragon pokemon of this world. Now, Raihan mentioned about our family’s long history of training dragons: That’s just my dad’s side of the family. My mother wasn’t from Galar, she was from the Draconid people, an ancient tribe of Dragon-type trainers in the Hoenn region. It is said that all the great dragon-type Pokemon Trainers are descendents of Draconids who traveled out of Meteor Falls. Champion Lance and Leader Clair are examples of this, both having come from a Dragon clan.” 

“My mother, at a very young age, became their Lorekeeper, a position handed down through the years in order to protect the histories of our world and to summon the Lord Rayquaza should the legendary pokemon Groudon and Kyogre awaken once more. This was a position she handed down to my eldest cousin, Zinnia, when my mother moved here to be with my father. She taught me a dance that her people would perform each year with the Salamence they lived amongst and cared for. This dance represents the beauty and power of dragon pokemon and the bond they have with humans they connect with. It’s a mix of traditional dance and martial arts. But to do this, I need some help from a few of my friends.” 

Vivienne had two pokeballs in each hand, throwing all four into the air. Gyrados, Dragonair, Hydreigon, and Salamence circled overhead, causing a few of the audience members to step back from the size of her Gyrados. Raihan’s Flygon cried out happily, swirling around Vivienne a few times, causing her to giggle softly, before it joined her pokemon above her. She smiled brightly up at the dragons before her eyes met the audience again. Everyone seemed mesmerized to see two new dragon types in the room. 

‘My friends and I would love to perform this dan-” 

Vivienne stopped speaking suddenly, her eyes widening. There was a man in the audience with his arms folded across his chest, staring up at her with a small smirk on his face. Her heart began racing, losing all the confidence she had just a moment ago. Her hands were beginning to sweat, rubbing them slowly on her thighs. She swore the man looked a lot like Everett. She tried to find him again, but someone stepped in front of the man and he was gone. Vivienne’s eyes scanned everywhere, taking a step back hesitantly. The crowd murmured, wondering what was wrong. The Leaders glanced at one another, knowing something was wrong. Leon watched her carefully, clenching his fists. It was taking everything he had not to go up there and make sure she was alright. 

Raihan noticed his sister was panicking, quickly walking over to her, standing in front of her. He cupped her face gently, lowering his head to look her in the eyes. 

“Viv… Vivi, what’s wrong…? Look at me.” He whispered softly, keeping his tone smooth and calm. 

Vivienne relaxed and met his eyes, releasing a shaky breath. 

“I thought… I thought I saw Everett… last time I did this dance, he was there… and I blew it…” 

“Everett isn’t here, okay? Remember, the dance is about feeling the energy around and focusing on your heart beat. Find someone in the audience you know, and think about the positive feelings they give you, alright? I believe you can do this, Vivi… I know mom always believed in you.” Raihan kissed her forehead gently before stepping off the stage. 

Vivienne took a deep breath, searching for anyone in the crowd when her eyes landed on Leon. A wave of calm rushed over her as he flashed his usual bright smile that made the Butterfrees in her stomach come out. She smiled lovingly back at him, her eyes moving to seeing her friends watching her, smiling and giving her thumbs up. Vivienne's smile grew brighter before taking one more deep breath, slowly shutting her eyes. 

_ Positive feelings… positive feelings… how my friends, family, and Leon care about me… that’s all that matters right now… they believe in me… they all believe in me… _

Her feet shifted into a new stance, her hands flowing into their new position as she slowly crouched down into a low dragon stance. The room was dead silent for a moment then the music started playing. Vivienne’s eyes opened; a fierce, almost dragon-like intensity to them. The dragon pokemon swirled overhead, as though they were dancing, mesmerizing everyone in the room. Vivienne raised her hands and stood up straight with ease, beginning to move with the music and the beat of her heart, keeping her mind focused on the positive thoughts. Her movements were graceful and filled with emotion as she moved across the stage. 

The flip was coming up, the part she dreaded. She released a breath, glancing over at Dragonair. The pokemon nodded, letting out its sing-songy cry. Vivienne grinned, nodding her head in return as she threw herself in the air, flipping backwards. It almost felt like time had slowed down as Leon and others watched Vivienne and Dragonair flip in synchronization. Leon’s fingers dug into his palms, knowing this was the part that had Vivienne worked up. 

_ Come on, Viv, you got this…  _ He thought to himself. 

Nessa noticed how focused and nervous Leon was and smiled lightly, turning her attention back to the stage as Vivienne made her landing perfectly. The audience applauded that part of the dance. Leon let out a sigh of relief, the biggest smile forming on his face. Watching Vivienne up on stage was a sight to see. Her energy was bright, her motions were graceful and powerful, and she was absolutely stunning and beautiful up there. The dance showed her passion and love for her heritage and pokemon, and if that didn’t express everything he picked up on Vivienne’s personality so far, he didn’t know what did. That was the moment Leon truly believed he was in love with Vivienne.

Vivienne smiled brightly as she made the landing, kneeling and reaching one hand up toward the ceiling. Her eyes darted towards Leon and the others before flicking over to Raihan. He was beaming, in complete awe watching her. She stood up, continuing the next set of motions. The pokemon knew exactly what to do next without their trainer giving them a command. Her Salamence released a Dragon Breath attack at the same time as Dragonair’s Twister move. Both attacks were controlled, the Dragon Breath combining with the Twister attack creating a beautiful, colorful vortex surrounding Vivienne. The audience gasped, scared for a moment before staring in awe at the display, never seeing a spectacle like that done before. Hydreigon and Flygon began swirling around the Vortex, causing it to dissipate into purple sparks of dust surrounding Vivienne as she ended the dance in a low stance; Dragonair and Gyrados coiled around each other behind her in the air as Salamence, Flygon, and Hydreigon landed on the surrounding her. 

Vivienne’s heart was racing, her chest heaving from the dance. The applause brought her back as she heard people, especially her friends and brother cheer. She glanced over at Leon and saw him smiling proudly at her as he applauded with the others. She stood up straight and presented her pokemon before bowing to the others. The feelings overwhelmed her as tears ran down her face. She finally did it after all these years. She smiled brightly as her and Raihan returned their pokemon. Raihan swooped her up in his arms when he walked back onto the stage, hugging her tightly. He kissed his sister on the cheek as he led her off stage after announcing to everyone to enjoy the rest of the festivities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was going to be a long chapter, but I kept it at five pages to not overwhelm you guys because A LOT happens during this whole scene. SO YOU GOT ALL THE ANGST and Vivienne finally having a supportive boyfriend and not being alone without friends and family near her and she's just able to be HERSELF. Like I just loved writing this scene. I was kind of scared you guys wouldn't like it as I was writing it, but I think it expressed Raihan and Vivienne's emotions about the whole thing beautifully. I was up until 2:30am the other night crying writing Raihan's stuff. And then Vivienne's part was such a beautiful representation of who I believe Vivienne is as a person: very passionate and has a deep love for pokemon and the people around her. So I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Sorry for the long rambling notes here. This was a really feelsy chapter for me. Next chapter shall be fun. <3


	19. Maybe There Is Some Hope For Our Protagonist

Chapter Nineteen

Vivienne had her arm linked with Raihan’s as they walked back into the ballroom after Vivienne changed. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, people stopping them to tell them what a good job they did, or people stopped and stared at the towering siblings walking through the crowd. They were making their way to their friends when Professor Magnolia and a man around their father’s age stopped them, to talk to them. 

“Professor Magnolia and Professor Celestine, you both came.” Raihan smiled brightly, greeting the professors.

“Raihan and Vivienne, that was a truly beautiful presentation.” Professor Magnolia smiled proudly. “Your parents would have been really proud. We wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” 

“T-thank you, Professor.” Vivienne stammered, feeling her cheeks warm. “That means a lot to us.” 

“That was an excellent performance and presentation on the Draconid people, Vivienne.” The younger professor added, smiling brightly. “And your use of Pokemon moves and how controlled they were was phenomenal.” 

“I appreciate that. My dad and grandmother actually taught me how to do that. You just have to trust your pokemon.” 

“I was actually talking to Professor Magnolia about this after your presentation, but I would love for you to present this and be a guest in one of my lectures in the next few weeks. I think it would tie in amazingly with my History of Dragon-Types unit.” 

Vivienne blinked a few times, not believing what he was saying for a moment. Raihan noticed the shocked expression on her face, elbowing her in the side, snapping her out of it. 

“Y-y-you want me to present at one of your lectures? Me?” 

Professor Celestine chuckled softly. 

“That is the general idea. I see great potential in you, Vivienne, in many different aspects from your presentation. I hope you do consider presenting for me.” 

“I-I would love to do that, actually. Thank you so much! I assure you, I won’t let you down.” 

“I’m sure you won’t.” Professor Celestine nodded, smiling reassuringly at her. “Well, I will let you two enjoy the rest of your evening. Raihan, it was a pleasure seeing you again. Don’t be a stranger.”

“Thank you, sir, I’ll try my best. Tell Zodi I say hi.” 

“Next time she calls, I’ll let her know.” 

As they watched both professors walk away, Raihan and Vivienne began doing their secret handshake, the biggest smiles on their faces as they looked at each other. 

“Maybe I should have come home sooner.” Raihan laughed at her comment as he linked arms with her once more. “You may have to pinch me because I think I’m dreaming.” 

Raihan pinched her arm, earning a smack on his chest. 

“Ow! I didn’t mean actually pinch me, bitch.” Vivienne rubbed her arm, pouting cutely. 

“Ooow. Sorry sorry, my bad.” Raihan grinned, patting her arm gently. 

“Mhm, you’re a punk.” Vivienne mumbled under her breath. 

The others were surprised to see Piers walk up to them. He was notorious for not showing up to things. Now this was the second event he had shown up to and no one quite knew how to react to it. Piers had his usual stoic expression on his face as he waved at the others to greet them. He shoved his hands into his pockets, standing next to Kabu and Melony. 

“Well, well, well, look who decided to show up.” Gordie crossed his arms, shaking his head lightly. “When did you get here?” 

“I got here as Raihan started speaking.” Piers answered cooly, shrugging. 

“That’s two events in two months, mate.” Milo added, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“I told you all, I show up when I want to show up.” Piers tossed his ponytail over his shoulder, appearing bored from the constant reminders he gave them. 

“Yeah, but why did you show up to this one? This isn’t really your cup of tea.” Bea inquired curiously. 

“Because I asked him to come.” 

Everyone turned to see Vivienne and Raihan joining them. Vivienne had changed into a pale purple dress and matching lace up boots. The dress was slit on both sides, revealing dark gray leggings underneath. A cape was slung down over her arms. It was stunning and resembled a sunset over an ocean. Leon couldn’t take his eyes off her, a small grin formed on his lips. Gordie noticed him staring and elbowed him in the side. Leon shook out of his stupor and cleared his throat, giving Gordie a side eye. 

“Piers, I’m so happy you came.” Vivienne hugged him, shocking the others. 

What shocked them even more was when Piers smiled and hugged her back. No one hugged Piers, and Piers didn’t hug anyone; except his little sister, Marnie. She was the only one though. Vivienne pulled away, smoothing out her dress and sash hanging off her waist. 

“I wouldn’t have missed it, mate.” Piers assured her. “You did a beautiful job, Vivienne, and I didn’t know Raihan had a soft side.” 

Raihan grumbled as a few of the others snickered, Piers smirking lightly from his reaction. Rubbing the back of his neck, he stared down at the ground, grumbling more.

“I don’t have a soft side…” 

“Well, whatever it was, you both made mum and Kabu cry.” Gordie snickered. 

Melony raised her hand to strike, Gordie yelling and ducking behind Milo, narrowly missing Melony’s whack. 

“Ha! Missed me.” 

“Nessa.” Melony only had to say her name and  _ whack _ ! Gordie was grumbling, rubbing the back of his head from Nessa’s smack. Melony turned back to Raihan and Vivienne with a loving and bright smile on her face. “Raihan, I’m just proud of you for getting up there and talking about it for a change. I know it must have been hard. I’m proud of both of you, really; always have been. You know how close we both were to your parents.” 

“They would be very proud of both of you.” Kabu added, a rare smile lighting up his face. 

“I uh… thank you…” Raihan’s face was flushed. For once in his life, compliments were flustering him. 

“Thank you- oh?” Vivienne felt someone tugging on her dress. She glanced down and saw Allister shyly standing there, gripping gently onto her dress. It was rare to see him without his mask on. Well… at least for other people. Vivienne practically knew Allister since he was a baby. Vivienne bent down, smiling softly at him. “What’s up, buddy?” 

“I-I just wanted to tell you that you look really pretty in your dress.” The boy wrung his hands shyly, staring down at his feet. 

“Awe, why thank you, Allister, that was really sweet of you. “ Her smile brightened. She smoothed out his jacket at the shoulders. “You look very handsome this evening as well. My dress is actually inspired by a group of women sky warriors who rode into battle on the back of Gyrados when Galar still consisted of tribes. Nessa’s dress is similar to mine only hers belongs to a group of water tribe warriors, and I’m rambling, and you probably didn’t want to know any of that… so sorry.” 

“Wow… really…? Why don’t you guys have armor on then?” Allister lifted his head to look at her, tilting his head ever-so-slightly. 

“Well, dancing in battle armor isn’t really comfortable.” Vivienne ruffled his hair cutely, getting a smile out of him. 

“Oh yeah, that makes a lot of sense…” He sighed, frowning. “I wish there was cool history stuff about ghost pokemon…”

“Ooooooh my Arceus, there are so many things that happened in history involving Ghost Pokemon! Let’s see… there’s the haunting of Macbeth… that involved Haunters. Then there was a king who had an entire army of ghost types… um… Raihan, what was that king’s name?” 

“King Hler I.” Raihan answered without thinking twice. 

“Yes! King Hler I, thank you. There are soooo many great stories out there involving Ghost Pokemon, Allister, sooooo many.” An idea came to Vivienne. “Maybe… if sissy allows it, after the season is over, you can come to Hammerlocke, and I can take you into the castle archives and library and show you some of the stories. Would you like that?” 

The excitement in Allister’s face made Vivienne’s heart happy as he rushed over to Bea. No one had seen him this animated before. 

“Bea, Bea, Bea! Can I? Can I? Can I?” 

“You know I’m not going to say no ‘cause it’s Vivienne we’re talking about, right?” Bean ran a hand through his hair as he threw his arms around her waist. 

“You’re the best, Bea.” 

“Well, uh… I try…” Bea chuckled softly.

“Gordie, would you like to dance with me?” Vivienne smiled, holding her hand out to him. 

Gordie stood rigid for a moment then glanced between Milo and Leon before pointing at himself. 

“Did you ask me…?” His voice was hesitant. 

“Of course I asked you. Your name is in fact Gordie.” Vivienne laughed and grabbed his hand gently, pulling him along through the people. 

“O-okay,” he stammered, following after her. 

“Melony, I don’t think we should let the younger ones have all the fun.” Kabu held his arm out for her. “Would you care to dance?” 

“I would love to.” Melony linked arms with him and walked away with him, leaving the others behind. 

When they reached the dance floor, Gordie was too flustered to look her directly in the eyes. Vivienne just smiled and looked around for a moment before glancing down at him. 

“How are you, Gordie?” Vivienne started a conversation, perkier than normal. 

“I’m good…? How are you?” 

“I’m doing great.” Vivienne’s smile turned into a sly grin. “Hey, Gordie… you remember that time you pissed off Fluffy to the point he accidentally burnt my history project that had taken an entire week to finish and you said that you owed me?” 

“That’s oddly specific, but yes, I do remember that… still terribly sorry about that.” Gordie laughed nervously. “Why? What’s up?” 

“Well, um… this is going to sound stupid… but I wanted to spend some time with Leon tonight… and I was wondering…” 

“If I’d be on the lookout for Dragon Boi while you’re together?” 

“Y-yes actually… How did you-”

“Vivienne, I’ve known you since we were little, and it’s pretty obvious you and Leon are dating.” His smile softened as he looked up at her, seeing her become nervous. “Don’t worry. Raihan’s too oblivious to notice, and to be honest, none of us would tell him because no one wants to piss him off… or see Leon get burnt to a crisp...” 

“Phew… okay… that’s… oddly reassuring.” 

Someone beside them cleared their throat, both looking to find Piers standing there with a small smile on his face. 

“I apologize for breaking the dance up early, but do you mind if I steal her away?” 

“Oh, um, sure, Piers.” He stepped aside, nodding at Vivienne. “Don’t sweat it, sunshine. I got your back.” 

“Thanks, Gordie.” 

She smiled as she watched him walk back to the others. Vivienne was surprised when Piers took her hand and rested his hand on her waist, dancing with her. She hadn’t expected him to know how to dance. He was the first to speak. 

“You know, to me at least, dancing with someone has many different meanings. Some people might want to be close to someone, an excuse to touch someone, or merely to have a private conversation.” 

“I suppose that’s true, yes.” Vivienne wasn’t sure where this was going, but she agreed. 

“Have you told Leon yet?” Piers was straight to the point this time. 

Vivienne grimaced, knowing exactly what he was referring too. She sighed, shaking her head as she looked down at the floor. She had a feeling this would come up again.

“No, I haven’t told him about the dancer thing…” 

“You really should.” Piers told her, lifting her chin up gently. “There’s nothing wrong with it.” 

“I know… I just- hm…” Vivienne paused. There were quite a few reasons she didn’t want to say anything. Some guys changed how they looked at you when you told them, or they stopped trusting you because they don’t know how that line of work ran. She also didn’t want to be that person anymore or reminded of it. “I don’t want him to look at me differently…” 

His expression softened. He sighed, shaking his head. 

“Vivienne, Leon may be a lot of things. I say that with all respect because he is one of my friends. But he is understanding, and I’ve never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you.” 

“Really?” 

She looked over in his direction seeing Leon and the others laughing at something Raihan must have said. He turned his head, seeing her looking his way and smiled. Vivienne returned the smile, blushing. Piers chuckled watching the exchange. 

“I wouldn’t lie to you about something like that. You don’t have to tell him now, but I would do it sooner than later… It wouldn’t be fair to you both if he found out from anyone who would snoop into it.” 

“I guess you’re right…” 

“Well, well, well, oh how the turns tables.” Gordie walked around Raihan, touching his cape. “Raihan’s wearing a cape tonight and Leon isn’t.” 

“Don’t you mean how the tables have turned…?” Nessa looked at Gordie weirdly, narrowing her eyes. 

“He was quoting The Office.” Leon and Raihan answered at the same time before high fiving each other. 

Nessa rolled her eyes. 

“Oh right, that show.” 

“I personally think my cape is cooler. It’s gotta hood.” 

Leon shook his head and chuckled at how proud Raihan was of his cape having a hood. It was nice seeing his best friend comfortable and happy doing something he loved doing. 

“Yeah, yeah, now you won’t make fun of me for wearing one.” 

“I’m still going to make fun of you, but now I  _ understand  _ how you feel with the cape on. It’s dramatic as fuck. OH! And I can impersonate you now, too, like when you did that dramatic twirly thing when you went up against Lance in the World Champion Match.” 

Leon groaned, running a hand through his hair. 

“Arceus, no… please…” 

“Please enlighten us, Raihan. I enjoy seeing Leon suffer.” Nessa had a smirk on her face, snickering. 

“Raihan, don’t- you son of a bitch…” 

Raihan bowed with a cocky smirk lining his lips, already earning snickers from the others. 

“Can you feel it, Lance? They want one of us to win and one of us to lose, but I, Leon,” He grabbed the end of his cape, bringing it across his body, placing his hand over his chest. “Am too amazing with my perfect hair and my flashy cape, will give it all I got to win another victory.” He twirled around, covering his face with the cape, only showing his eyes. Leon covered his mouth, trying not to laugh while Gordie and Milo were already failing at not laughing. “I’m unbeatable because I learn from all my battles, no, my victories, because I’m so great. You might as well just lose now while you got the chance.”

Leon ended up cracking up laughing, covering his face as the others lost it. Raihan smirked and dropped his cape bowing. 

“Is that really how I sound like…?” Leon gritted his teeth, rubbing his neck as the others kept laughing. “Never knew you thought I had perfect hair. 

“Thank you, thank you. I’m here for you, my dude. That’s exactly how you are before battles.” Raihan snickered. “I’ll be right back guys. I promised I’d talk to Cynthia for a bit.” 

As Raihan walked away, Leon glanced over and saw Vivienne looking his way as she was dancing with Piers. He smiled at her, watching her smile back and look away quickly. Bea and Nessa exchanged glances with Gordie seeing Leon’s focus on Vivienne. Gordie glanced over his shoulder, seeing Raihan was out of earshot and had his back to them. He glanced back at the girls and nodded his head towards Leon. 

“Leon, why don’t you go dance with Vivienne?” Bea asked him cooly. 

“Huh?” Leon brought his gaze to Bea, not quite hearing her. “Did you say something Bea?”

“Yeah, I said why don’t you go dance with Vivienne.” Bea repeated herself, grinning. 

“Well, I uh…” 

“Oh come now, don’t tell me you have an excuse  _ not  _ to dance with her.” Nessa placed her hands on her hips as Milo and Gordie started talking to each other. 

“Well, no, but uh…” 

“Oi, mate,” Piers walked up to him, Vivienne having been pulled away to talk to some people. “Go dance with your girlfriend.” 

“Leon has a girlfriend?” Allister looked extremely confused. 

“Yes, but you can’t say anything to Raihan.” Bea told him, running a hand through his hair. 

“But why?” Allister scratched at his head.

“Oh boy, okay, well, Allister…” Nessa turned away from Leon to explain what was going on.

“Okay, okay, okay, I’m going, I’m going. Jeesh… You’re all going to get me killed, but okay, I’m going?”

Leon turned to walk over to Vivienne when he bumped right into someone. He stumbled for a moment, grabbing the person gently by the arms to steady them. He went to apologize, then froze seeing who he had bumped into it. It was Sonia. Of all people, it had to be Sonia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! So I haven't posted in a few days. So sorry. My friend got me addicted to a new game, and I had a bit of a terrifying experience on Monday that's caused a lot of anxiety this week. But I finally got this BITCH WRITTEN. I had to split this chapter in half again... because you guys would have gotten like... 12 pages of content. OOF. I hope you guys enjoy this! Also, you may get double posting today. Ooooooh. 
> 
> Also, can anyone guess what OC made a cameo in this story this time? xD


	20. Prepare for Trouble! Make It Double!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Public Service Announcement: Team Rocket does not show up in this chapter. I just thought the title was ironic and funny for this chapter. Ehehehehe

Chapter Twenty

Sonia and Leon just stood there for a moment, staring at one another. A few of the younger leaders noticed, becoming nervous. Sonia and Leon hadn’t spoken in two years since their break up. Milo taped Nessa, who was busy talking to Bea and Allister, on the shoulder. Nessa furrowed her eyebrows and gave him a look before she realized what was going on.

“What, Mi- oh… oh, okay, I’m going to go find Viv. I’ll be riiiight back.” Nessa whispered, pushing through the crowd to where Vivienne was chatting. 

“Hi, Leon.” Sonia smiled her usual bright smile. 

“Sonia, hi. Um, how are you?” Leon glanced over at the guys and Bea, his eyes reading ‘help me’. 

Gordie and Milo shrugged, not knowing exactly what to do. Leon looked back at Sonia, trying to find it in him to return her smile, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. 

“I’m doing pretty well, actually. How about you?” 

“Um, I’m doing great, yeah.” Leon rubbed the back of his head, internally groaning.

_ You just haaad to start a conversation with her… smart, Leon… smart… real smart… _

Vivienne was chatting with some people who had pulled her aside when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned and saw Nessa standing there, appearing to be concerned about something. Vivienne tilted her head. 

“Nessa, what’s wrong?” 

“I think you need to go save Boy Wonder from my best friend.” Nessa answered, nodding her head towards Leon. 

“What do you mean? He’s just talking to someone.” Vivienne could see he was slightly uncomfortable, but she wasn’t sure what the cause of it. She couldn’t see who he was talking to, her back was to Vivienne.

“That’s Sonia.” Nessa folded her arms across her chest, amazed by how some things just went right over Vivienne’s head. 

“Sonia…? Oh-OH! That Sonia. Okay, right, awkward ex confrontation. Excuse me,” She smiled at the people she was talking to before walking through the crowd with Nessa. 

“Sometimes I worry that you’re slowly turning into Raihan.” Nessa mumbled, biting back a grin. 

“That’s just rude. I’m not  _ that  _ oblivious.”

Leon stood there listening to Sonia as the conversation had continued. He felt an arm link with his causing him to look up, smiling brightly at who he saw beside him. Vivienne was there, looking down at him with a sweet smile, hugging his arm. 

“Leon, I believe I danced with the other guys, but not you yet.” She glanced at Gordie to make sure Raihan wasn’t insight. He gave her a thumbs up before she smiled brighter, leaning in and kissing Leon on the cheek softly. 

“Is-is that so?” Leon cleared his throat, his cheeks flushed. He did not know how Vivienne was going to react to Sonia being there, since anyone who had dated him was on her ‘hit list’. 

“Uh huh, would you like to?” 

Vivienne pulled him closer to her, gazing into his eyes lovingly. Leon smiled brighter, relaxing as his eyes met hers. She had that effect on him, and it almost made him forget to answer her. Gordie, Milo, Bea, and Nessa stood there, watching everything happening and were finding it hard to believe someone had this sort of effect on Leon. He was usually Mr. Confident and right now he was stammering and flustered over Vivienne’s presence. Milo glanced over at Nessa and put out his fist, Nessa fist bumping him in return without tearing her eyes away from the scene. Even Sonia stood there in shock watching it all.

“I would love to dance with you, love.” He finally managed to say, Vivienne pecking his lips, lingering a little longer on purpose.

Vivienne pretended she just saw Sonia and smiled brightly, placing a hand over her chest. 

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. You don’t mind, do you? I’m Vivienne, by the way.” 

“Oh no, no, you're fine. I’m Sonia.” It took Sonia a moment to process what was going on. “Your presentation was beautiful.” 

“Thank you so much. It was a  _ pleasure _ meeting you, Sonia. I hope we get another chance to talk soon.” 

Vivienne was fighting to hold back the sarcasm in her voice. She was trying to be nice because Sonia seemed like a nice person, and Sonia also happened to be her best friend’s best friend. She couldn’t be  _ too  _ mean to her. She pulled Leon away towards where others were dancing. He sighed in relief and relaxed as they got further away from Sonia. 

“Thank you for saving me… and for being nice to her.” He mumbled softly. 

“You can thank Nessa for coming and getting me.” Vivienne smiled as she stopped, facing him. “But you still have to dance with me.” 

“I told you I would dance with you.” Leon chuckled. “But I’m afraid I don’t know how to dance.” 

“It’s simple…” She smiled softly, grabbing his left hand gently, placing it on her waist. “You place your left hand on my waist…then take my hand with your right…” Vivienne took his hand in hers, resting her right on his shoulder, smiling softly at him. “You keep your eyes on mine… and you just move along with the music, okay?” 

“Yeah? That simple? What if I step on your feet?” Leon asked as they started moving, his head lowering to stare down at his feet.

“Hm, well lucky for you, I’m good at pretending I’m not leading.” She gently lifted his chin up, his eyes meeting hers again. “You’re doing alright, just keep your eyes on mine, okay?” 

Leon nodded slowly, not breaking away from her gaze. 

“You look absolutely stunning…” He had been dying to tell her that all evening, but was finally able to say it now they were away from Raihan. 

“Yeah? Well, I think you look really handsome. Red is definitely one of your colors.” She wrapped her arm around his neck, grinning lightly. “You can hold me closer if you want to.” 

“You’re not af-” Leon began to speak but stopped when he saw Vivienne shake her head. 

“Let’s just say, we have really good friends.” 

Vivienne giggled when she felt his hand move to her lower back, pulling her flush against him, their face barely inches apart. He smirked lightly, seeing her cheeks darken from how close they were. 

“Hm, is that so? Well, then we’ve got nothing to worry about.” Another fit of giggles came from Vivienne. This was the happiest he had seen her get, and it was contagious. “You really like to dance don’t you?” 

“Mm, I do, especially with you.” Vivienne rested her head on his shoulder.

“And why’s that, if I may ask?” His lips lightly brushed against her forehead. 

“Gives me an excuse to be close to you…” She mumbled, placing a light kiss on his neck, her eyes closed. 

Leon chuckled again, resting his head against hers. He glanced over, seeing some of their friends watching. He rolled his eyes, smiling from their reactions. It wasn’t like he was completely hopeless with women, but it was nice having his friends supporting him now; at least… most of them. 

“That’s a good excuse.” Leon assured her. “Why don’t you do anything with your dancing? You’re talented at it.” 

“Oh no… I couldn’t… I’m far too critical of myself.” Vivienne bit her lip. That was only part of the reason. 

“Well, I think you’re pretty amazing with dancing and other things. You could do a lot of different things with your talents.” 

“You really think so?” Vivienne lifted her head, her hand resting on his chest once more. 

“Of course I think so,” His brows furrowed in confusion. “Has no one never told you that before?” 

“Outside my family and a small circle of other people? Not necessarily…” 

“Since you’re always hyping me up, guess I’ll just have to be your hype man from now on.” He raised his arm allowing her to twirl under her arm. Her bright beaming face came back as she came back around in a fit of giggles. 

“You- you let me do the princess thing.” Now Vivienne was the one who was flustered. No one had done that with her since she was maybe eleven. 

“The princess thing? You mean spinning you around? Did I do it right?” 

“You diiiiiid. I’m usually too tall for that.” Vivienne admitted, hiding her face in his shoulder. 

“You’re only what? Three inches taller than me? Plus, you look like a princess. You’re like… a badass princess with tattoos and dragons. That’s cool as shit, like damn. I’m dating the hottest princess out there.” 

“Stoooooooop, my feelings can’t handle all of this.” Vivienne laughed, nuzzling her face into his neck. 

“Sorry, princess, but I speak the truth.” 

Vivienne’s head perked up, her entire face flushed. 

“Did-did you just call me princess?” When he nodded, she grabbed onto his hand, pulling him through the crowd. “He looks good and handsome and shit and then has the neeeerve to call me princess without consequences. The neeeerve.” 

Leon laughed at her sarcasm, shaking his head as he followed after her. She walked out onto the balcony. It was quiet outside compared to the chattering of people inside. The cool breeze felt nice and the stars lit up the night sky. They were alone alone now. Vivienne turned and leaned against the railing, folding her arms across her chest, pouting cutely. Leon raised an eyebrow, unable to hide his grin. 

“Am I in trouble, princess, or did I take your breath away with my ‘amazing’ dancing abilities?” 

He was teasing her, and it was working by how much more flustered she was becoming. She grumbled something under her breath, her pouting intensifying.

“Stoooop… I like being called princess… and you called me princess where I couldn’t kiss you…” 

Her body tensed up as he stepped up to her, resting his hands on the railing on either side of her. Their bodies were close to touching, his face close to hers. Even in the dim lamplight, his eyes almost seemed to glow. She bit her lip shyly, realizing she had been holding her breath. He was being cocky and more confident, and she had to admit that she liked this side of Leon a lot too. She knew he was being a tease. She could tell by how close he was yet managed not to touch her, the mischievous smirk and glint in his eyes, how he kept calling her princess; he knew exactly what he was doing and he knew he was causing her to get more flustered by the second. Leon shook his head lightly, chuckling softly. 

“Then do something about it, princess.” His voice was hushed and lower than it normally was, his lips ghosting over hers.

“You’re teasing me…” Vivienne’s voice was soft and breathy, looking up at him through her eyelashes. 

“Maybe I am, but I don’t see you doing anything to stop me,  _ princess _ .” Leon snickered when her eyes narrowed. 

Vivienne closed the distance, pressing her lips to his as her arms snaked around his neck. He grinned against her lips, his hand finding the small of her back, holding her body flush against his, his other hand resting on her arm. She sighed softly, her tense body relaxing as she deepened the kiss, running her fingers through his hair. As cliche as it may have sounded, the world around her almost seemed to disappear as they kissed. She wasn’t worried about anyone seeing them together, she was just with Leon, and that’s all she really wanted at that moment; no interruptions, no people to talk to, just to stand out here with Leon. That, unfortunately, didn’t last long. 

“Well, well, well, if this isn’t a chummy pair we have here.” 

Vivienne’s eyes flew open as she heard the voice, both her and Leon breaking away. It was a voice that should have been thousands of miles away from Galar. Leon kept close to her and saw the horror in her eyes from hearing the voice. He turned and saw the owner of the voice, standing there with his hands in his pockets. Vivenne looked at the same time and was glad Leon was still holding onto her. 

He was handsome with pretty black curls on his head, and piercing, bright green eyes that found a way to mesmerize any woman who laid eyes on them. He stood about six inches shorter than Vivienne with a broad and fit physique. He was there, she wasn’t just seeing things earlier when she was on stage. 

“Everett… why the hell are you here?” Vivienne growled, her jaw clenching. 

He was about to speak when Chairman Rose came walking onto the balcony, appearing to be relieved to have found Everett. He walked over to him, then noticed Leon and Vivienne standing there. The Chairman smiled brightly at the two, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

“Leon and Vivienne, good evening. I see you’ve met my nephew, Everett. He’s staying with me for a few weeks. Everett, this is our Champion, Leon.” 

Everett had a smug grin on his face as he held out his hand. 

“Everett Rose, pleased to meet you.” 

Leon glanced down at his hand, his jaw clenched. He glanced at the Chairman for a moment before reluctantly shaking his hand, his grip tight. Leon grinned seeing Everett flinch ever so slightly at his grip. 

“Pleased to meet you.” Leon forced out, attempting to sound convincing enough that the Chairman wouldn’t notice his hostility. 

“Vivienne, that was an excellent performance. I’ve never seen pokemon’s moves used in such a way, at least I haven’t since your father last held one of these events.” The Chairman rattled on, not seeming to notice the exchange. 

“T-thank you, Chairman… My pokemon worked hard in order to master that technique.” Vivienne was trying her hardest not to make eye contact with Everett. 

“I can tell. You’re one remarkable trainer then, much like our Champion here.” Rose turned to Everett. “Everett, we do have to be going now. Oleanna has our transportation waiting. Vivienne, Leon, always a pleasure.” 

“Alright, uncle.” Everett smirked at Leon. “Champion Leon.” His eyes flicked to Vivienne; an almost sadistic glint was in his eyes as he blatantly looked her over before scoffing quietly. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around, Vivienne.” 

Leon fought back a growl, holding Vivienne close to him as he watched the two leave. As soon as they were gone, he gently grabbed Vivienne’s face, his thumbs brushing over her cheeks gently. Her eyes seemed to be staring distantly into nothing and she was shaking lightly.

“Baby? Vivienne, are you okay?” 

“Raihan… I need Raihan, please…” She mumbled, finally meeting his eyes. 

“Okay, I’ll be right back. You stay here, okay? I’ll go get Raihan.” 

Leon kissed her forehead quickly before hurrying back inside, weaving through the crowd. Raihan wasn’t hard to pick out in the crowd since he towered over everyone in the room. He was talking to Piers and Kabu when Leon finally reached him. The three noticed the worried expression on Leon’s face and instantly became concerned. 

“Leon, what’s wrong?” Kabu asked first. 

“Rai, Vivienne needs you right now.” Leon sounded urgent. 

“Did something happen?” Raihan grimaced. 

“Her ex was just here, and she’s shaken up about it.” Leon answered, seeing how rigid Raihan’s body became. 

Raihan’s fists and jaw clenched, gritting his teeth. No one had seen Raihan this angry in a while, and it was intimidating to say the least. 

“Where is that piece of shit?” 

Leon grabbed Raihan’s arm, pulling him back. 

“Raihan, I know you want to kick his ass right now, but Vivienne needs you now.” 

The anger on Raihan’s face dissipated and became softer at the mention of his sister. He took a deep breath before heavily exhaling, nodding. 

“Take me to her.” 

When they got to the balcony, they found Vivienne sitting on the ground, leaning against the railing. Her knees were tucked into her chest, her arms wrapped around her knees. It looked as though she was trying to take deep breaths. Raihan was instantly sitting beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. 

“Vivi, are you alright? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” 

Vivienne just shook her head, her eyes watering. 

“I knew everything was going too well… He’s going to make my life a living hell… I told them I would jinx everything…I told them… I told them...” 

“Hey, now, sh sh sh…” Raihan wrapped his other arm around her and held her close, kissing the top of her head. “No need to be superstitious… you don’t have to worry about a thing, okay…? We’re all here for you...” 

Vivienne nodded, nuzzling her face into his shoulder. Leon just stared helplessly down at the two. The stars in the sky had hidden behind dark rain clouds. Nothing but darkness loomed overhead now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guuuuuuuuys. You remember how the last twenty chapters you've gotten really nice fluffy stuff and character growth and what not??? And that you guys love Vivienne and Leon so much???? Yeeeeeeeah, y'all about to be hit with a whole lot of CAPTAIN DICK BAG ENERGY.... but not right away. Ehehehe. Y'all are about to get wrecked hard... Mwahahahahaha
> 
> Also, this fan fiction length is freaking ridiculous. This chapter ends on page 124 and it goes up to 140 right now with stuff I already have written for the angst shit show that will go down, like damn... Not stopping anytime soon. Just wanted to also give you guys a heads up! You guys may not get an update for about a week coming up next week because my niece will be staying with me for a bit and then I'm going to North Carolina to spend a few days with my cousins and aunt. :)


	21. Confessions and Doubts

Chapter Twenty-One

Everett stared out the window of the taxi, the lit up cityscape of Hammerocke City below them. It had been years since he was in Galar last. It certainly changed since he was a child. The whole idea of battling changed in the region, and everyone seemed too… happy there. It almost disgusted him. All of Galar wanted to be stronger, but they didn’t really know what true power was; not yet at least. They were all small and pathetic to what he had in store for them. But something worried him: Their Champion. Everett didn’t know much about him, apart from what Jupiter and Mars had told him, but he had a bad feeling about Leon from their one meeting. He flexed his fingers slowly, his hand still in pain from their handshake. Leon could potentially ruin all their plans, considering how much his uncle spoke highly of him.

Then there was Vivienne. Everett grinned darkly at the horrified look on her face replaying in his head. She knew he knew things about her she wouldn’t want her precious friends and family to find out. She especially wouldn’t want him saying anything to Leon, since she seemed to have moved on so quickly. That shocked Everett the most. After the two years of tearing her down, she actually had the courage to move on. Everett didn’t like that one bit, and he was going to make sure he destroyed every last ounce of hope for a better life she had left. Vivienne was always so naive and so easy to use. She would do anything to make sure not to disappoint Everett or to earn some sort of affection from him. It was honestly so pathetic how blind she was to the fact he never actually loved her. 

It was all to get close to her father, the most well-renowned historian to come out of Galar in the past fifty years. When Everett learned Draken Gray was living in the Hoenn Region with his daughter two years ago, it was almost like throwing an Arcanine a bone. Most women found him desirable and attractive, so normally manipulating his way into the hearts of women wasn’t a difficult task. The emotionally vulnerable ones were the easiest to manipulate. Finding their weaknesses was usually easy, then using them against them got him what he wanted. 

Rose carefully watched his nephew with a small smile on his face. He glanced out the window, Hammerlocke disappearing behind them. A couple more weeks then his plans to save Galar’s future would come to life, and all would be good in the world again. Rose was glad to have his nephew there to help him bring his vision to life. It was a relief to have someone on his side for once. No matter how many times he explained his vision to Leon, the Champion didn’t get it. He didn’t understand that they needed to focus on Galar’s future in order to protect it for future generations. 

“Something on your mind, Everett?” He cooly inquired, folding his arms across his chest. 

Everett didn’t look at his uncle. He continued to stare out the window as he leaned back in his seat. 

“What can you tell me about the Champion?” Everett glanced at him from the corner of his eye. 

“Leon? Well, he’s definitely one of our youngest Champions. Definitely a hard worker, passionate about keeping Galar safe and making it stronger, bright, hopeful. Honestly, he’s probably the greatest champion the world has ever seen.” 

“Hm… so perfect poster boy, huh?” 

“I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s perfect.” Rose quirked an eyebrow. “If anything, he has the same issues as anyone your age would. Honestly, I’m quite surprised by how close he’s gotten with Miss Gray.” 

“Yeah? Issues with women?” 

“You could say that, yes. Why do you want to know so much about him?” Rose was curious now. 

“Eh, you could say I don’t like him, you could say a lot of things.” Everett paused, turning his head towards his uncle. “Do you think we can trust him?” 

“Oh, I believe he’ll come around to the idea… Just give me a little more time, I’ll show you he’s on our side. After all, we all want a stronger and better Galar.” 

_ That may be what you want, uncle… but I have far greater plans in store for this world.  _

“Of course, uncle, of course…” 

Vivienne sat against her headboard, her legs crossed, hands in her lap. It was pretty late when Raihan and her had gotten home, but she couldn’t sleep. Not after Everett showed up. She came home to get away from Everett, not to have him show up and threaten to ruin everything she had worked for at home. Everett knew a lot of things about her that she would have rather kept quiet from anyone. That part wasn’t even what bothered her the most. It was the fact he couldn’t easily turn every little thing around and make it sound worse than it actually was. It was only a matter of time until Everett would bring something up to Leon. She hadn’t even told Raihan half the stuff. 

Sighing heavily, she got out of bed and walked out of her room, heading towards Raihan’s room. She hesitated before knocking, thinking he may be asleep. Vivienne was surprised when she knocked to hear Raihan’s voice say it was open. When she walked in, she found him lying in bed on his phone. Raihan looked up at her and noticed she still seemed troubled by something. He sat up and put his phone on the nightstand. 

“Viv, are you okay?” 

The concern in his question caused her eyes to tear up. She shook her head lightly and crawled into his bed, hugging his side tightly. His arm was instantly around her shoulders, rubbing her arm gently. They stayed like that for a few minutes in complete silence.

“You know how I don’t talk about my time in Hoenn…?” Vivienne carefully asked finally. 

“Yeah, I noticed that.” Raihan stroked her hair. 

“Well… not many good things happened while I was over there, and I made dad not tell you because I didn’t want you to worry about me… I also didn’t tell him a few things that I’m not very proud of myself for… And Everett used a lot of that on me to keep me around… so I’m just upset that he’s going to mess everything up now that he’s here…because he’s good at manipulating everything to make others look like the bad guy…”

“Viv… you know I’m going to worry about you regardless, even if you don’t tell me things…” He paused for a moment. “Do you want to talk about it…?” 

“I don’t want to keep you up…” Vivienne mumbled. “You have work tomorrow…” 

“Yeah, and my sister being upset is more important than my job.” Raihan sighed when she didn’t respond. “What kind of things happened…?” 

Vivienne shrugged, playing with the string on his hoodie. 

“I didn’t really adjust well the first year… so I had to be in the hospital for a little bit… mainly for stress and not handling mum being gone… Just had a lot of breakdowns and couldn’t deal with things properly.” She felt his head rest on top of hers, causing her to smile lightly. “Hopefully that doesn’t happen again.” She glanced up at him quickly to see if he was still listening. “The historians over there are also not the most welcoming to new people and they certainly don’t appreciate being corrected by a seventeen year old.” 

Raihan snorted quietly, shaking his head. 

“I can only imagine the expressions on their faces.” 

“Oh their expressions were hysterical, but no one wanted to hire me on to intern because I was a threat to their reputations.” 

“Sounds like a bunch of dudes with sticks shoved up their arses.” Raihan smiled when he got a stifled laugh out of her. 

“Yeah, basically.”

“I can see Everett saying stuff about the hospital stuff, but you can easily explain that to people.”

“That’s not the only thing he could say…” Vivienne went quiet, sitting up against his headboard. “I’m sorry I’m dumping all this on you at 2am.” 

“Stop apologiiiiiiziiiiing. I’d rather you tell me now so then when fuckface tries to say shit, I’ll tell him to stick it where the sun don’t shine.” 

“Okay, okay, okay… do-do you promise not to judge me?” 

Raihan furrowed his brows, staring directly at his sister, confused as to why she would ask something like that. 

“I’m pretty sure I’ve done more things that you would judge me for, but you know I won’t judge. You should know better, jeeeesh.” 

“Well, I-I was a dancer.” 

“You’ve always been a danc- Oh… you mean…?” 

“Yeah…” 

“You, my shy little sister… were a stripper?” Raihan had to piece the words together slowly. 

“I prefer dancer… but I mainly bartended… but yes…” Vivienne hesitantly waited for the reaction she thought she would get from her brother. The reaction he had was the complete opposite. 

“Come oooon. Why do you get all the fun?” Raihan pouted. 

“F-fun? Wait- what? You’re not going to be like ‘wow you a slut’???” 

“Why would I call you a slut for dancing? If anyone is a slut, that would be me. All my friends know I’m a slut. If anyone calls you a slut for dancing for men who spend all their money they could be using for their families, they are idiots and can fuck off.” 

“You- you don’t care?” 

“Why would I care? Do you realize how many times I’ve thought of becoming a stripper because the Chairman tests my fucking patience? Like have you seen me? I’m fucking hot. I’d make bank as a stripper.”

Vivienne burst into laughter, covering her face with her hand.

“I don’t want to think about my brother as hot, but you would, indeed, make bank.” 

“I know I would. I’m fucking sexy as shit. Women and even some men probably, would like to see what’s underneath my hoodie.” 

“Arceus, check your ego, sir.” Vivienne slammed one of his pillows into his face, laughing. 

“Oi, oi, oi, not the face.” He laughed, hitting her back with the pillow. He watched her pull the pillow off her face as she tried to calm her laughing fit. She was far more relaxed now than she had been moments before. “You don’t have to be ashamed of that part of your life, Vivienne, you know that right?” 

“I-I know… I just haven’t told my-my boyfriend about it, and I don’t want him to think of me differently.” 

“Hm… well, if he tries anything funny, I will personally end his life if he touches you without consent. There’s that. Also, if he can’t handle you being honest and he’s going to be an ass about it, he doesn’t deserve you, Vivi. I hope you know that because my sister deserves the best. Still salty I haven’t met the boyfriend yet, but I’ll get over it, I gueeeess.” 

“Maybe this week you’ll meet him; that is if you can stop pouting.” She rolled her eyes playfully before her face softened. “Thank you for not judging me… I was really scared to tell you… Piers is really the only one who knows.” 

“Piers? Wait… was that you on that photo shoot he did in Hoenn…? Like a few months ago…?” 

“Oh dear Arceus… did he show you?” 

“I mean, yeah, he’s my mate. He was like ‘oi, mate, this girl looks a lot like you’ and I was like ‘psh, no she doesn’t. You’re mad, mate.’” 

“Raihan… I love you… but you are so oblivious to things.” Vivienne patted his head, snickering.

“Oi, I’m not  _ that  _ oblivious.” 

_ Oh… but you are… so oblivious you don’t realize I’m dating your best friend.  _

“Okay, Rai. Whatever you say.” 

“What even gave you the idea to do that?” 

“Oh, my friend Marta was like why not do this so I could get away from the asshole a bit and make extra money.” 

Raihan grimaced, not liking the sound of that. 

“Why would you want to stay with someone who didn’t treat you right…?” 

“I… because it started out really good, at least I thought. I’m really stupid, Rai. I thought he loved me, and I just- I ended up getting used and controlled. Even dad could see it…” 

“Nope, none of that. You’re not stupid. He’s one of those pieces of shit who manipulates girls into thinking he loves them to get what he wants. If I hear you call yourself stupid again, I’m hitting you with another pillow.” 

“I know I’m not… I know, I know… It’s just still hard to deal with… so you can understand why this is really hard to admit to someone I really care about.” 

“You must really like this guy.” Raihan brushed her bangs to the side, smiling. “If he makes my best girl happy, then I’m sure he’ll be understanding.” 

“I hope so… Thanks, Rai…” Vivienne hugged his neck cutely, kissing his cheek. “I love you.” 

Raihan hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head, smiling. 

“I love you too, Vivienne. Now you need to get some sleep. You had a long day and an eventful evening.” 

Vivienne nodded as she got out of bed and walked towards the door. She looked over her shoulder and smiled softly. 

“G’night, Raihan.” 

“Night, sunshine.” He returned the smile, watching her close the door behind her. 

He sighed heavily, glancing at his phone. He was half tempted to call his father and chew him out for not telling him things or doing more for Vivienne. But Raihan was exhausted and didn’t have the energy to give anyone a piece of his mind. He turned his lamp off on the nightstand, pulling the blankets over him. He was going to have to keep an eye on Vivienne if Everett was sticking around. 

A Few Days Later

Leon grabbed his backpack, throwing it over his shoulder. He had his ear buds in his ears, listening to his morning playlist. He grabbed his skateboard and headed out the door, locking up. He always left for work an hour early in case he got lost on the way. It wasn’t that he got lost on purpose, he just got distracted a lot and was too focused on what he had to do that day. Also, a GPS navigating in walking mode was confusing at times.

Glancing down at his watch, he took a deep breath. 

“Okay, Leon… you’re going to get to work in thirty minutes today… Thirty minutes…” 

He set off down the sidewalk on his skateboard, focusing on where he was heading. A man was heading out his front door when Leon passed. He waved at Leon, smiling. 

“Morning, Leon.” 

“Morning, Mr. Wilson.” Leon waved back before turning the corner. 

Wyndon was quiet in the morning. The streets were already beginning to be busy with cars and double decker buses as shopkeepers and vendors began opening up for the day. When Leon got to the stadium, he stopped before the staircase and picked up his skateboard, heading up the stairs. He checked his phone and smiled proudly seeing he made it in twenty-five minutes. As soon as he reached the top, one of the guards were already positioned outside and they appeared surprised to see the Champion there so early. 

“Good morning, Champion Leon. You’re here early this morning.” 

“Morning, Craig! Made it to work in twenty-five minutes and didn’t get lost.” 

“Alright, man, way to goooo.” He fist bumped Leon as he walked past. “Have a great day, Leon.” 

“Thanks, man, you too.” 

Leon’s phone notification went off as he stepped into the lift. He smiled down at his phone seeing Vivienne had messaged him already this morning. 

**_Princess🐉💚: Morning, baby! I hope you have a good day at work! 😘 I should be in Wyndon around 4 or 5, whenever the train gets there. You want me to wait at the station until you're done, or you want me to come to the stadium?_ **

**_Babe💫💜: Hey, baby! Thank you. Just come to the stadium when you get here._ **

**_Princess🐉💚: Okaaaay, can do. Am I still good to spend the night…?_ **

**_Babe💫💜: Yeah, that’s still good with me._ **

**_Princess🐉💚: Yay!!! It’s your turn to choose dinner tonight, and you have to pick this time!_ **

**_Babe💫💜: Fiiiine. I’ll think of something. Just get here safe, alright? I’ll see you when you get here. 😘_ **

**_Princess🐉💚: I will! Don’t worry! See you later, baby. 😍😘😍_ **

**_Babe💫💜: Bye, baby. 😊_ **

Leon smiled at his phone as he stepped into his office, but it quickly disappeared as he glanced up and saw he wasn’t alone. Everett was seated behind his desk, scrolling through his phone. He glanced up and gave Leon an insolent smirk before glancing down at his phone again. Leon clenched his fist before releasing it slowly as he took his earbuds out. The last person he wanted to see that day was Everett. He was the last person he wanted to see in general after the other night. Leon placed his stuff on his desk, glaring intensely at Everett. 

“You’re in my seat.” Leon tried to be polite, but his words came out in more of a growl. 

Everett scoffed, looking around before pointing at himself. 

“Who? Me? Oh sorry, didn’t realize it had your name on it.” 

“What are you doing here, Everett?” Leon ignored his sarcasm. 

“I just wanted to stop by because I can.” Everett stood up, continuing to scroll through his phone. 

“Well I don’t have time for visitors today, now if you’ll excuse me.”

Leon slowly walked around his desk and sat down, pulling out a folder in his bag. He noticed Everett hovering behind him, clenching his jaw. This guy really couldn’t take a hint. Leon attempted to ignore him to look over League papers the Chairman had given him the day before. 

“I noticed you don’t have any photos of Vivienne on your desk.” 

Whatever hostility Leon felt before was gone at that comment. He glanced at his desk only having a photo of him and Hop and another of him and his mom. It wasn’t that Leon and Vivienne didn’t have any photos together, they were waiting for a good time to tell Raihan about their relationship.before posting any photos. Leon wanted more than anything to be out with their relationship since they were gradually beginning not to care as much when out in public. He frowned, trying to ignore the slight tight feeling in his chest. 

“That’s none of your business.” Leon muttered, flipping through pages. 

“No posts on social media either, huh? Little birdie told me she doesn’t even post anything about you on her social media. Oh, Vivienne… kind of actually surprised by that. She was  _ always  _ so desperate to post anything to do with me when we were together.” 

“Well, Vivienne and I are taking things slow.” Leon couldn’t focus on his paperwork in front of him. 

“I don’t know, man. Just seems kind of odd to me that she hasn’t practically  _ begging  _ you to post things. She’s very attention-seeking that way.” Everett shoved his hand into his pockets as he looked around the office space. 

“I don’t know who you dated, but Vivienne is far from attention-seeking.” 

“Oh? Well, that’s strange. Very unlike the Vivienne  _ I  _ know. I mean, you can see for yourself how she used to post things when we were together.” 

Everett held his phone out to him. Leon couldn’t help but watch him scroll through old photos of the asshole and Vivienne together. Only, in the photos, Vivienne had beautiful, long hair and she appeared happy beside Everett. He felt the tightness in his chest grow as he cleared his throat, averting his gaze back to his papers. 

“That’s in the past.” He grumbled. 

“Hm, I’m not so sure about that.” Everett stepped away from his desk as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “She’s either embarrassed of you or you’re just scared of her brother.” 

“I’m not-” A growl came from deep inside his chest as his pencil snapped in his hand. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I hit a nerve?” Everett chuckled darkly as he turned to face the Champion. “Dating your best friend’s sister… Now that is the definition of breaking bro code. How is that working out for you? Does he even know yet?” 

“That’s none of your business because Vivienne is none of your concern anymore. You’re the one who broke her heart, she’s the one who left you. Now would you kindly-”

“Oh so she’s dubbed me the bad guy now, huh?” He clicked his tongue, shaking his head in disappointment. “Oh, Vivienne… Vivienne… you really are something else, aren’t you…?” He spoke more to himself than to Leon. “Anyway, it’s honestly quite entertaining to think that the ‘great Champion of Galar’ is scared of a 6’8” idiot with a couple of titles who can’t even beat you in a pokemon battle. Honestly, quite pathetic.” 

Leon stood up suddenly, getting in Everett’s face. He easily towered over the man by a few inches, sizing him up. 

“Now listen here, pip squeak. No one talks shit about my best friend, and no one talks down about  _ my  _ girlfriend. Now I’m not going to ask you again: Get the fuck… out of my office and stay the fuck away from Vivienne.” 

“Hm… threatening me is no good since, you recall, I  _ am  _ the Chairman’s nephew… but I’ll leave since you asked  _ so  _ kindly.” Everett smirked once more before heading towards the door. He held it open and stopped before peering over his shoulder. “Oh, and fair warning:  _ she  _ doesn’t stick around long when she doesn’t get what she wants… but… I’m sure you’re already aware of that from past experiences..” 

Everett closed the door behind him with a malicious smirk lining his lips. Leon flinched from the dig and stood there for a moment. He slowly sat down on the edge of his desk, staring down at the floor. He hated to admit Everett was right, but the last comment hit him the hardest. Taking a deep breath, he walked around his desk and plopped into his chair, grabbing his phone. He opened his phone and stared at the background photo of him and Vivienne together. He placed the phone down on the desk and tried to focus on work throughout the day until he got to see Vivienne later. But Everett’s words kept repeating themselves, filling his head with doubts. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> helloooooooo I finally give you aaaaall a chapteeeeeeer. Y'all. It's been... a week or two... it's a big oof. xD But ehehehehehe next chapter is going to be fuuuuun.


	22. All I Need

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is literally ten pages of fluff and smut.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Leon had his earbuds in and his eyes closed, trying to drown out his thoughts after he finished his work. He didn’t notice the knocking or someone walking into the room. He felt arms hug him from behind, causing him to jump in his seat. Pulling out his ear buds, he looked over his shoulder and smiled brightly as Vivienne leaned forward, pecking his lips softly. Vivienne stepped back as he quickly stood up and cupped her face, pulling her back into a kiss, this one lasting longer. He heard her sigh, her hands resting on his chest, smiling into the kiss. She was breathless by the time he pulled away, her face flushed. 

“Mm… well, that’s one way to greet a girl…” She giggled, pecking the tip of his nose. “Hi, baby.” 

“Hey…” Leon smiled lovingly down at her, brushing her bangs to the side. 

Vivienne noticed his eyes seemed troubled about something, and she frowned, brushing her thumb over his jaw. 

“Everything alright, love…?” 

“Honestly, doing a lot better now.” Leon answered, trying to push aside that morning’s drama. His answer wasn’t enough for Vivienne, however. 

“Did something happen? Do I need to beat a bitch up? You know I will. I’m ready to fight someone.” 

“Well, um… I got to work and… Everett was here.” 

Vivienne went silent and stared down at Leon. All the color seemed to drain from her face at the mention of Everett being anywhere near Leon. Leon instantly regretted bringing it up, rubbing her arms. 

“Did-did he say anything?” 

“Nothing really. I think he was trying to make me jealous or something.” He lied slightly. He really didn’t want her to worry about this today. The past few days she wasn’t able to sleep properly, and she had been having more depression and anxiety spells than normal. He just wanted her to have one day where she didn’t have to worry about that piece of shit. “But I handled it, and he left hours ago, so no worries. We’re going to have a nice, relaxing evening. Okay? Just me and you.” 

“Yeah…? Just you and me…?” Her smile gradually came back, her arms slipping around his neck. 

“Uh huh. Just you,” He pecked her lips softly, smiling. “And me.” He pecked her lips once more, causing her to giggle again. 

“Mm… that sounds like the best kind of evening.” Her voice was hushed and soft as she gazed into his eyes. She quickly pecked his lips once more. “What did you decide for dinner?” 

“Dammit, um…” 

Vivienne laughed, rolling her eyes. 

“Sweetheart, you had all daaaay to decide.” 

“I know, I know. Uuuuum, how about Kantonian food tonight? I’m craving teriyaki chicken and rice for some reason. There’s a great place about two blocks from here.” 

“Oooooh my Arceus, I was craving that tooo.” Vivienne pulled out her phone and typed something into it before handing her phone to him. “Put your order in.” 

Leon took it and put his order in, handing it back to Vivienne. She put hers in then finished, putting her phone away. 

“Okay, it’s already paid for and all we have to do is pick it up.” 

“Baby, I was going to buy you dinner. You came all the way-” 

“Nooooope! I wanted to buy you dinner tonight.” 

“But-” 

“No buts! It’s too laaaate. Come on, come on.” 

Leon sighed heavily, shaking his head as he grabbed his things and paperwork. Vivienne slung her bag back over her shoulder and walked out with him, linking arms with him. 

“You are impossible sometimes.” Leon chuckled, dropping his paperwork off at the receptionist’s desk before continuing towards the lift. 

“Eh, you know you love it.” Vivienne teased. She glanced down at his longboard skateboard as they stepped into the lift. “Since when do you skateboard?” 

“Since uh, forever, I guess. Do you skateboard?” 

“I think I tried it once. Raihan was really into it, so that meant I had to try it too. But that was years ago.” 

“I can teach you, if you’d like.” Leon glanced up at her, smiling softly. 

“Yeah, I’d like that a lot! As long as you’re there to catch me.” 

“I’ll always be there to catch you, Viv.” Leon kissed her temple as the lift doors shut.

“Okay, but I don’t understand why he keeps getting you involved with this whole powerplant situation. Like the spikes in the power spots and the earthquake has Raihan a bit nervous, but I don’t understand how that concerns you being responsible for any of that. Like, isn’t that supposed to be the Chairman’s responsibility? After all, it is his company and his powerplant that was allowed to be built in the castle as much as dad fought against it.” 

Both Vivienne and Leon sat in the grass at the park near where they got their food. Leon couldn’t help smiling, watching her wave her chopsticks around as she talked about what he was going through at work. It was refreshing to have someone hold a conversation with and have someone who cared about what he talked about. She finished talking and grabbed a piece of chicken with her chopsticks before shoving it into her mouth. 

“There’s a lot of things the Chairman likes to push onto me in order to protect Galar’s future from extinction. He’s worried about things that are going to happen in a thousand years when everyone alive right now will be dead. I just don’t know what else he wants from me on this topic.”

“What does that even mean?” Vivienne waved her chopsticks to the side with the most confused expression on her face. “Is a meteor going to come down and kill us all like the Dino-Pokemon? I think Rose is smoking some strong ass shit that’s made him lose his mind.” 

Leon laughed, shaking his head. Vivienne’s face brightened hearing his laugh. It was one of her favorite things to hear when they were together. He was always more relaxed when they were alone together, and it made Vivienne happy that she could get him to loosen up outside of work. 

“Whatever he’s smoking, he can keep it far away from me.” Leon was struggling to pick up a piece of his chicken with his chopsticks. He heard a giggle and glanced up, seeing Vivienne covering her mouth with the back of her hand. “Are you enjoying watching me struggle right now?” 

“A tad. You’re holding them wrong, silly.” She placed hers down in her carryout container, readjusting the sticks in his hand. “There, now you should be able to use them, like this.” 

Vivienne grabbed her sticks and used them to pick up one of her fried dumpling things she had. She held it up to his mouth with steady hands. Leon raised an eyebrow, tilting his head. 

“What is that?” He was curious, never having eaten something like that before. 

“It’s Krabby Rangoon. It’s just a fried dumpling-like food with Krabby meat and cream cheese inside. Try it; it’s delicious!” 

Leon had to admit that it did sound good. He opened his mouth and bit into it, pulling it off her chopsticks. He wasn’t expecting it to be that good, but he was proven wrong. Vivienne watched his reaction and was pleased to see he actually enjoyed it. 

“Mm… that’s actually really good.” Leon spoke after he swallowed. 

“See, I tooooold you it was delicious. In my household, we always crave that Krabby Rangoon…” She slowly brought one up to her mouth and ate it, staring straight ahead as though she were in a food trance. Vivienne snapped out of it when she heard Leon laugh. Her cheeks flushed. “What?” 

“You and food…” He smiled brightly. 

Vivienne felt her cheeks grow hotter as she stared down at her lap.

“I-I just really like food…” 

“And that’s good. There would be something wrong if you didn’t like food. I may just be in competition with food as to which one you like more.” 

“O-oh.” Vivienne wasn’t expecting that comment. She was usually hesitant about eating around people after comments Everett had made to her over a span of time. 

_ Everett and Vivienne were on vacation and stopped at a rest stop to get something to eat. Vivienne hadn’t eaten anything since the night before and ordered a little more than she usually did. She was excited to eat food and to be on vacation with Everett, hoping it would make him happy to be away from Sootopolis City for a little bit. She was ordering her food when she heard a scoff beside her.  _

_ “That’s a lot of food… why don’t you try eating something like this? Thought you were on a diet anyway?” Everett picked up a healthier looking snack that was displayed beside the cash register, showing her. Vivienne grimaced and felt her chest tighten and anger slowly creeping up her body. She could tell the cashier was even offended he would say something like that to her.  _

_ “I’m on vacation, and I haven’t eaten since last night. I’ll eat what I want, thank you. Not like you’re paying for it anyway.” Vivienne was surprised by herself standing up for herself for once as she finished ordering her food.  _

_ But the feeling that Everett was judging her for eating made her feel like shit and like he thought she was fat. It shouldn’t have been a big deal, but it ruined the mood for the rest of the trip, and he didn’t even care. He continued on as if he didn’t do anything wrong. _

“Well, food may always be there for me, but food can’t beat your hugs and kisses, so there’s that.” She shook the memory away, smiling shyly at Leon. 

“Oh, is that right? Thank Arceus.” He teased, snickering.

“Now don’t let that go to your head. Pizza is still better than sex. This is a proven study.”

“A proven study, huh? Well, I can’t say anything against science then, now can I?” 

“Yup, that’s correct.” Vivienne tried to hide a smile and laugh. Their ridiculous antics was what she needed that week. 

“But what if that study is biased and therefore inconclusive and inaccurate?” 

Vivienne sat there speechless, trying to think of a comeback for that. She wasn’t about to let him win seeing the smug grin he had on his face. 

“You saying you can prove my study is wrong?” 

“I mean, I have a theory I can potentially prove your study wrong, but then again, it’s only a theory. I’m waiting to get permission from my boss to test my theory.” 

“Waiting for permission, huh?” Vivienne could feel her entire face burning as she fumbled nervously with her chopsticks.  _ That was smooth, babe… real smooth.  _

“Yeah, she’s worth waiting for, though, so I’m in no hurry to prove my theory right or wrong.” He shrugged and smiled sweetly at her, seeing she was flustered. 

Leon went back to eating without another word, Vivienne staring at him with flushed cheeks. She stayed like that for a minute or so before eating quietly. He went from flirty to sweet real quick, and it always left her flustered and dumbfounded each time. 

The sun was beginning to go down, the street lamps coming on and lighting the streets. Leon walked close to Vivienne as she steadied herself on the skateboard. It was amusing watching her trying to focus on balancing. Her tongue was sticking out as she focused, trying not to stare down at her feet. The skateboard began to shift back and forth, scaring her. She hopped off quickly, hugging his arm. His foot stopped the board before it got away. Her face flushed, hiding her face into his neck as he chuckled. 

“Sorry… I got scared.” She mumbled, hugging his arm tighter. 

“It’s okay, baby. You were doing a good job.” He stopped, pushing her hair out of her face. “My place is literally two houses down. Try one more time.” 

“What if I fall?” Vivienne gave him soft doe eyes that made his heart almost skip a beat. His smile was reassuring as he stroked her cheek gently. 

“You’re not going to fall. I’m going to be there to catch you, remember?” He walked ahead and stopped in front of his front steps. “You remember how I told you to push off. You can do it, baby. Just go slow.” 

Vivienne nervously flexed her fingers, placing a foot on the longboard. She glanced up at Leon, hesitant. He smiled and stood there patiently. She was more worried about falling and having to go to the hospital. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself off and put her other foot on the board, gliding slowly down the sidewalk. She smiled brightly and laughed that she was doing it. Leon was beaming when she finally reached him, Vivienne stopping the way he had shown her earlier. He steadied her as she hopped down. 

“See? I told you you could do it!” He kissed her cheek quickly before bending down to grab the board. 

“I did do it!” 

Vivienne giggled as they walked up the steps, stepping inside once Leon unlocked the door. His place was neat and tidy with some photos of his family and Charizard around. Vivienne smiled as she looked at some of the photos as Leon stepped past her, stealing a quick kiss on her cheek. Her smile brightened as she turned her head to face him. He was smiling right back at her. 

“You can make yourself comfortable. I’m just going to change out of my uniform and put your bag in my room.” 

“Okay, baby.” She pecked his lips, the kiss lingering for a moment longer before he walked away. 

Vivienne wasn’t sure why she was more affectionate than normal that day. She just wanted to be close to Leon and kiss him all night for how sweet and understanding he had been the entire time they had been together; especially the past few days. He made her happier and didn’t make her feel like she was being used or neglected or a waste of space. No one made her feel the way she did for Leon. 

_ I love that dork so much.  _ Her own thoughts surprised her. She couldn’t help but smile like an idiot at the thought that she loved someone who cared about her and who she cared about in return.

Vivienne was snuggled up to Leon on the couch. Leon was focused on the movie they were watching, his arm securely wrapped around her shoulders. She was having a hard time focusing on the moving for the first thirty minutes. Leon had been drawing small circles on her arm, pulling her closer to him. His body was nice and warm pressed against her side, the smell of his cologne comforting. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she nuzzled her face into his chest. A small shiver coursed through her as she felt his hand run through her hair along the back of her neck. Vivienne thought back to the other night at the festival when he teased her and thought she’d have fun with a little payback since they were alone now.

She lifted her head and pressed soft kisses along his neck. A soft humming sound came from Leon, his eyes closing as she continued her way up his neck. Vivienne sat up and pushed his hair gently out of the way as she kissed further up his neck, sucking lightly on his skin. Leon bit his lip, finding it difficult to focus. He looked down at her from the corner of his eyes.

“Mm… baby, what are you doing…?”

“Nothing… you smell really good… “A small grin lined her lips as she sank her teeth into his skin, leaving a small mark. His soft moan caused her to chuckle, trailing her tongue over the mark. “Mm… you even taste as good as you smell…” 

Her lips ghosted along his jawline, threading her fingers through his hair, her other hand trailing slowly down his chest.. He turned his head, catching her bottom lip between his teeth, lightly biting down on it. Vivienne whimpered quietly before feeling his lips heatedly press against hers, grabbing her face carefully. Gripping onto his hair, she leaned into the kiss, just wanting to be closer to him, moaning into his mouth. His hand roamed down her chest and along her side to her ass. He carefully pulled her onto his lap, moving his hands up to her waist. 

_ “Could you get off me? Arceus, you’re heavy.”  _

Vivienne’s eyes flew open from the shift in position and from Everett’s voice suddenly in her head and pulled away quickly. Leon saw the panic in her eyes, concerned. He cupped her face gently, trying to ground her and keep her calm. 

“Hey now, sh… what’s wrong? Did I-”

“Am I too heavy?” She blurted out, staring into his eyes, scared. 

Leon tilted his head, taken aback by the question. She wasn’t heavy to him at all. He brushed her bangs to the side, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

“Baby, you’re not heavy at all… who told you-” 

He stopped. He knew exactly who told her that. Leon’s eyes narrowed at the thought of that piece of shit telling this beautiful woman she was too heavy. His face softened once more when he still saw the uncertainty and fear in her eyes. He ran his fingers through her hair, his other hand resting on her cheek. 

“Vivienne, if this is upsetting you, we can stop. It’s really okay. But baby… you’re not heavy whatsoever… In fact, I think you’re the most beautiful woman in the world, and I would never ask you to change anything about you… I don’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with, but that asshole doesn’t know what true beauty is.” 

“You-you really think I’m beautiful…?” She hesitantly asked, her fingers ghosting along the side of his face.

“Oh my Arceus, do I.”

Leon pulled her closer to him by the small of her back, looking up into her blue eyes, his hands rubbing her thighs gently. Vivienne bit her lip, feeling the heat between her legs growing. She caught herself holding her breath, reminding herself to breathe. He somehow always managed to take her breath away. He smiled lovingly up at her, showing off his charming smile that made her heart race. 

“You’re so beautiful and strong… intelligent...funny… Every time I’m around you, I just want to be with you...and to be honest, I can’t keep my hands off you, either…You amaze me, sweetheart…” Vivienne began to slowly relax, her body less tense. He leaned up and pressed his lips to her forehead. “You tell me what you want, okay? If you still need time, I’ll give you all the time you need.” 

Vivienne stared down at him in awe. It took her a minute to finally muster the courage to speak. 

“I don’t need more time… I just want you…” She mumbled softly before crushing her lips against his, pressing her body flush against his. 

Leon wasted no time returning the kiss, his hands running up her back. Vivienne deepened the kiss, trailing her hands up his body, pushing his shirt up. Breaking away from the kiss, she pulled the shirt over his head, tossing it to the side. His lips met hers again as he unbuttoned her jersey, pushing it off her shoulders as soon as it was undone, running his hands over her. Her hips lazily pressed down against his. A growl rumbled in the back of Leon’s throat as he grabbed a handful of her ass, pinning her hips down on his, smirking at the little sounds she made. His hands traveled down to her haunches and suddenly stood to his feet, holding her up easily. Vivienne squealed, breaking away from the kiss, her legs and arms koalaing around him as he carried her into his room. 

Vivienne was in a fit of giggles as she felt her back lay on the bed. Leon hovered over her, kissing down neck to her collarbone, his fingers wrapping around the hem of her cami. He glanced up, his hair falling over his shoulders. 

“May I…?” 

She hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding. He pulled her cami over her head, dropping it to the floor. Vivienne held her breath as she waited, watching him look her body over. She was surprised to hear him growl softly as his tongue wet his bottom lip. It was the first time he had seen her tattoos that were constantly hidden from view. He ran his hands up her sides, glancing back up to her face. 

“You’re so beautiful, baby…” His voice was soft and sweet as he kissed down along her body. 

“T-thank you…” She stammered, her cheeks rosy. 

Soft, breathy moans escaped her from the feeling of his lips against her skin. Her hand found its way into his hair, tugging lightly. His eyes flicked up to hers, making his way back up her body, sucking and leaving marks along her chest. He grinned at how she squirmed under him and how her back arched slightly. He brushed his lips along her jaw, ghosting them over her lips. His fingers brushed along the hem of her shorts. She whimpered, raising her hips to try and get some sort of friction. Her eyes locked on his. He almost seemed to hesitate for a moment before he spoke. 

“Are you sure you want to do this…?” 

A small smile crept onto her face, nodding. 

“Yes, baby… Do you want to…? I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do, Leon...” 

No one had really asked Leon that before. It threw him off guard for a moment before he nodded, pecking her lips softly, pulling her shorts and panties off, tossing them to the side.

“I do.” 

“Hm…” Her eyes slowly scanned over him, biting her lip as an attempt to hide a grin. “Then you’re definitely wearing too much at the moment…” 

“Oh am I now…? Well… I guess we’ll just have to change that then, now won’t we?” 

Vivienne giggled, snatching his lip between her teeth, grinning as he let out a breath.

“Don’t get cheeky with me…” 

Leon chuckled, pulling the remainder of his clothes off. He grinded down on her once, Vivienne whimpered, pouting. 

“I could just tease you the whole time because I  _ knoow _ how much you love that.” His voice lower and a playful smirk lined his lips as she whined, shaking her head quickly. 

“Please don’t tease me… Please…? I’ll be a good girl… I want you…”

“You want me, huh…?” 

She nodded, lifting her hips to press against his erection, earning a groan from him. He splayed his fingers over her stomach, pinning her hips down on the bed as he lined himself up, sinking down into her. She threw her head back, stifling a moan. He let her adjust before starting a slow pace with his thrusts. His thrusts gradually picked up, becoming harder and faster. Vivienne was a mewling mess, trying to keep her moans quiet, mumbling yeses and pleases. Leon’s lips were on her neck once more, her fingers threading through his hair, pulling hard. His breath was hot against her ear, grunting softly. 

“I want to hear you, baby… you don’t have to be quiet…” His husky voice in her ear caused shivers to course down her body, releasing a shaky breath. 

“I-I don’t…?” She stammered.

He hummed softly in response, leaning down, sucking on her soft spot, biting down on it. She moaned a little louder that time, pulling his hair harder. He hissed before smirking darkly, grabbing her thighs, pulling her down as he thrusted hard into her. She cried out loudly, his name slipping off her tongue, begging him to fuck her harder. That was enough for him to comply, slamming his hips into her. Her moans were louder, digging her nails down his back as he kissed wherever he could reach. Vivienne could feel she was getting close. Her hands made their way into his hair, pulling hard. Leon groaned, his cock twitching inside her, telling her he was close, too. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them down on the bed, staring deeply into her eyes. 

“D-don’t… fuck-” He groaned again, resting his forehead against hers, his fingers lacing with hers. “I’m close, baby… I’m gonna pull out…” 

“N-no, no no…! Please don’t…” Vivienne pleaded, squeezing his hands gently. She bit down on her lip seeing the surprise on his face. 

“Y-you don’t want me to pull out…?” 

“N-no…” She shook her head, rolling her hips up against his, watching him gradually coming undone. “I-I want you to cum inside me… please, baby…? It’s okay… please…? I’m so close, baby…”

A growl came from the back of him as he crushed his lips against hers, thrusting hard and deep. Vivienne’s moans were swallowed up by the kiss, feeling her release growing stronger and stronger until it finally came. She broke away from the kiss, moaning his name as he came, thrusting his cum deeper into her with a growl and curses. Both their breathing was heavy as they came down from their highs.

“Fuuuuck…” He groaned, his hips slowing to a stop. He opened his eyes slowly and gazed into her eyes, scared and surprised to see tears welling up in her eyes. He quickly pulled out and cupped her face, brushing a tear that escaped away with his thumb. “Viv, what’s wrong? I didn’t hurt you did I?” 

Vivienne sniffled and shook her head, her arms wrapping around him. She nuzzled her face in his neck, hiding her red face from how stupid her reason for crying was. 

“N-no, you didn’t hurt me… y-you actually made me cum and made me feel good for once… and you’re just really sweet and beautiful…” She rambled into his neck, sniffling more. 

Leon smiled brightly and wrapped his arms around her securely, kissing her temple lovingly. He stroked her hair gently, holding her close. 

“Sh…that’s why you’re crying?” When she nodded, he chuckled softly, pressing his lips on the top of her head. “Awe, it’s okay, love… you deserve to feel good always… you’re amazing…” 

“T-thank you…” 

Vivienne laid partially on his chest in boyshorts and one of his t-shirts. She was tracing shapes along his chest, smiling shyly. He watched her sweetly, brushing her bangs to the side. He was just in a pair of sweatpants, twirling her hair along his fingers. They were both fairly quiet with the occasional small talk. As much as Leon tried to get the thought out of the back of his head, he couldn’t help shaking the feeling he was going to wake up alone in the morning. It was almost inevitable with girls he brought home. It happened too many times before. He didn’t think Vivienne would do that to him, but things had gone fine before and they still always managed to leave him before he woke up. 

He felt a hand rest on his cheek, drawing him out of his thoughts. He glanced down and saw Vivienne watching him curiously and appeared worried. She sat up, scooting closer to him, moving her hand to play with his hair. 

“What’s wrong, baby…? Did I do something to upset you…? I’m sorry if I-” 

“Oh no, no. Baby, you didn’t do anything.” He quickly reassured her, kissing the tip of her nose. “Just my mind being dumb.” 

“Why’s it being dumb?” She kept playing with his hair, causing him to relax more and become sleepier. “You look like I’m about to leave you or something.” He didn’t respond, Vivienne grimacing. “Baby…? Do you think I’m going to leave you after we- Has that happened before…?” 

“Y-yes… unfortunately, it has…” Leon lowered his head only for her to gently lift his chin up with her fingers before pressing her lips softly against his. He blinked a few times as she pulled away, staring into his eyes. 

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, baby… but I’m not leaving your side… and I’m going to be right by your side in the morning. You mean so much to me…” 

Leon nodded slowly in response, running a hand through her hair. It was still hard to shake the thoughts out of his head even with the reassurance she gave him. She pressed her lips to his forehead. Vivienne stared down at him lovingly, unable to get over how much she was in love with this man. It was weird; she never felt this way with her first boyfriend, and she never felt this way when she was with Everett. It felt genuine and like she was happy. She saw his eyes struggling to stay open the more she played with his hair. She laid down beside him, resting her head on his chest as he lazily wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer. She rested her hand on his chest, hesitating telling him she loved him. The thought had been in her mind all evening, and might have been there longer without her knowing. 

“Leon…?”

“Hm…” He sleepily mumbled, resting his head against hers. 

“I l-” Faint snoring interrupted her thought. She smiled and chuckled quietly, realizing he had fallen asleep. “You won’t hear this, but… I love you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO FRIENDS. I'm not dead. I started back to work 3 weeks ago doing a two to three shifts a week, and bartending kicks ass when you gotta be like four other positions at once. xD Also, I've been in Obey Me! Shall We Date? mode because my friend turned me into a monster and now I'm obsessed with 7 demon lords.
> 
> The next chapter has a bit of fluff/smutty stuff in it, but it's also going to be funny and may actually lead into all the shit that's about to go down. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It took a week to write because you know, if you were there for the last fic I wrote, I get really shy and scared to write smut, and Leon smut is very different from Raihan smut. I got used to writing Raihan smut by the end of that fic. But now I have Leon smut, and I was like oooooh booooooy. Vivienne in for a TREAT. Sorry for rambling. It's 2am and I am still wired up from work this evening, and literally just finished writing this chapter. I've also not been on in like a week. I missed you guys. Hope you guys liked it! Ah. I'm leaving now. Bye. Need sleep.


	23. Run, Leon, Run!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight NSFW stuff???

Chapter Twenty-Three

The early morning sunlight came through the window, hitting directly on Leon’s eyes. He clenched his eyes shut, bringing his arm over his face. He sighed heavily, trying to keep his eyes shut in an attempt to avoid waking up entirely. All he wanted to do was sleep and ignore the little voice in the back of his head telling him Vivienne wasn’t there. The mattress shifted beside him, his eyes fluttering open. Turning his head, a sleepy smile crept onto his lips. Vivienne was laying there on her stomach, hugging her pillow as she slept. Her hair had fallen into her face. He reached over and pushed her hair out of her face tenderly so not to wake her. A small smile formed on her lips as she nuzzled her face into the pillow. Leon could feel his eyes growing heavy again, putting his arm back over his eyes to shield them from the sun, falling asleep again. 

Thirty minutes went by before Vivienne’s eyes fluttered open. She stretched her arms then rubbed her eyes, her eyes scanning the room for a moment before they landed on Leon. She smiled brightly seeing he was still asleep. The sheet was practically off him, exposing him from the waist up. She bit down on her lip as her eyes scanned over his body. That was definitely a view she didn’t mind waking up to. Her fingers reached out and ghosted along his tattoo down his side, his skin warm to the touch. Leon shifted slightly in his sleep, her hand quickly drawing back. He kept sleeping, his head turning away from her. A small grin formed on her lips as she moved closer to him, nuzzling her face into his neck. 

“Leon, it’s time to wake up…” She pressed her lips against his cheek softly, giggling quietly from him grumbling in his sleep. 

“Five more minutes…” He mumbled sleepily. 

“Baby, it’s almost nine… it’s time to wake up.” She giggled again when he kept snoozing away. “Hm… how to wake you up without being grumpy with me… hmmm… I wonder…” 

Her lips slowly trailed down his jaw to his neck, peppering soft kisses as she went. She stopped when he sighed, but he still didn’t wake up. Vivienne blew her bangs out of her face and carefully straddled his waist, not putting any weight on him. She continued kissing down his neck to his collarbone, sinking her teeth into his skin, leaving a mark. The noise he made made her grin as she continued to bite and suck marks down along his chest. It was definitely payback for last night, and she enjoyed being playful and relaxed for once. She felt a hand run through her hair, startling her out of her thoughts. She stopped, her eyes slowly moving up his body meeting his sleepy eyes, watching her curiously. His smile was soft and small as he played with hair. 

“Mm… g’mornin’ to you, too… whatcha doin’...?” His voice was gravelly, his eyes half lidded. 

“I tried waking you up, but you wouldn’t, so I resorted to this… because payback and you’re just very sexy.” 

“Sexy hm…? Well, why don’t you come up here and get your g’morning kiss…?” 

Vivienne bit her lip before moving up his body, kissing him softly, his hand threading through her hair gently while his other rested on her lower back. The kiss gradually became deeper, Leon’s hand on her back pushing her flush against his chest. Vivienne chuckled softly, her hand running through his hair. They were interrupted by the sound of Leon’s phone chirping at him, flying off the nightstand. 

_ “Raihan is calling!”  _ It chirped, earning a groan from Leon.

Vivienne giggled as he reluctantly brought the phone to his ear, answering the call. 

“Hey, Rai, what’s up?” 

“You forgot, didn’t you?” Raihan’s voice came over the phone. 

“Forgot…?” Leon ran his hand down half his face. 

“I was coming up today, remember? We were going to hang out.” 

Vivienne bit her lip as an idea came into her head.

“We were going to hang- OH. Yeah, no, no, I didn’t forget. No, we’re good. I just woke up and… not really… awake yet…”

Leon couldn’t put his words together properly as Vivienne kissed and sucked hard on his soft spot on his neck. He bit his lip, fighting off the moan that threatened to escape his lips. Her hands roamed down his body slowly as her mouth continued to work on his neck. It was hard controlling his breathing and focusing on the phone call at the same time. 

“Okay, cool, I just wanted to call you and let you know I’m on my way.” 

“Yeah, man, that’s cool. No prob- hng…” He clenched his jaw feeling her teeth sink into the spot. He glanced down at her and she glanced up at him with a fake innocent glint in her eyes.  _ Oh, you’re getting it once this phone call is over…  _

“Uuuuh, dude, are you okay…?” Raihan sounded hesitant, becoming concerned. 

“Yeah, man! I uh… stubbed my toe getting up.” 

“Um, okay… I’ll be there in an hour and a half.” 

“Okay, man! Sounds good. See you then.” 

“See ya in a bit, mate.” Raihan’s end of the line ended, the Rotom phone flying off and landing on the nightstand. 

Vivienne snickered as Leon groaned, covering his face. She sat up, looking down at him. He rubbed his face, staring up at her, red in the face. 

“I gotta get up… and you’re absolutely impossible.” Leon shook his head, unable to hide the grin and his chuckle.

Vivienne pouted, running her hands up his chest, leaning down and pecking his lips softly, lingering longer with each peck. 

“Mm… you don’t have to get up yet, baby…” she mumbled against his lips, looking down into his eyes. She playfully pressed her hips down against his once, nibbling at his bottom lip. 

“But baby…” He groaned, finding it harder to resist her. “Now that’s not fair… you’re almost as bad as Raihan needing attention...” 

Vivienne snickered, ghosting her fingertips along his cheek. 

“You could say it runs in the family… come on, baby… he won’t be here for over an hour…” 

Leon stared up at her and thought for a moment. 

“Ah fuck it,” He mumbled, sitting up suddenly, pulling her flush against his body. 

She gasped as he kissed her, her hands resting on his neck. His arms wrapped around her, his hands splayed out on her lower back, pressing her hips flush against his. His hands roamed up her back as the kiss became more open mouthed and ravenous. Whimpers and breathy moans came from Vivienne before she yelped, Leon suddenly having her pinned down on the bed. She giggled, pulling him back down into the kiss as he smiled brightly down at her. 

“I’m actually impressed with Hop, man. He’s really pulled through since the beginning. He even beat me on the first try.”

Raihan made conversation as they walked up the steps toward the stadium. Leon smiled brightly, chuckling as he shook his head, waving at Craig as they walked through the sliding doors. 

“I love how you all underestimate my brother then are surprised when he actually wins battles.” 

“I never underestimated your brother, dude. I was more worried at the beginning because he was more focused on wanting to be like you.” Raihan put his hands up in defense. 

“Yeah, I noticed that, too, but it’s not like I could tell him about it. All the Challengers would get their Alan’s in a twist if they found out I gave Hop advice. Not to mention I’d get an earful from Nessa and Melony.” 

“Yeah, we’re not about that life.” Raihan carefully observed his friend. He seemed almost… perkier and happier than normal. Not to say his best friend wasn’t happy or perky at times, but this was definitely different than other times. “You’re… spunky today?”

_ Spunky? Who the hell uses spunky in a sentence, Raihan? _

“Oh um…” Leon rubbed the back of his head, his face flushing as he pressed the button to the lift.. “I’m just in a… good mood this morning…” 

“You got laid last night, didn’t you?” Raihan bluntly asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

“...Is it really that noticeable?”

“Eh, just kind of sense these things.” Raihan shrugged, thinking nothing of it. 

“Oh okay…” Leon was silent for a moment. “Also… maybe this morning, too…” 

“I KNEW something was up. Who was she?” 

“Well, she’s my girlfriend…” Leon mumbled. 

“Ooooh, mystery girl? You must be pretty serious about this girl.” 

“Oh, I am. Believe me, she’s… amazing.” 

The lift door opened. A busy staff member with too many things in her hand was too focused on her work to notice Leon standing there and ran right into him, her full cup of iced coffee going all over his shirt. She stood there in horror as she realized who she just ran into. 

“Ch-champion Leon… I’m so sorry! Are you okay? Oh my Arceus, I’m so sorry.” 

Leon laughed it off, smiling to reassure her.

“It’s alright, really. I have extra clothes in the locker room. Don’t sweat it. It happens to us all.” Leon pulled out his wallet and handed her some money. “Buy yourself another coffee, okay?” 

“I-I can’t take that, sir… I just spilled coffee all over-”

“I insist.” He carefully put the money on top of her papers and followed Raihan into the lift, shoving his wallet into his pocket. 

Leon put his phone down on the bench beside Raihan, walking over to his locker, opening it. Raihan was in the middle of a conversation about Hop’s battle when Leon pulled off his shirt without thinking about the marks on his body. Raihan stopped mid sentence when he saw the hickeys on his friend’s chest and had to blink a few times. Leon noticed and glanced over at him, stopping midway putting his shirt over his head. 

“What…?” 

“Is your girlfriend as possessive as I am? Because damn, she did a number on you, dude.” 

“Oh uh… you could say that… You could almost compare her to a dragon-type pokemon.” 

“Compare her… to a dragon-type poke-” 

Things were beginning to slowly come together, but his thoughts were interrupted by Leon’s phone chirping. He glanced down and saw a text message notification, but what he focused on was the lockscreen. His eyes widened seeing who was in the picture: it was Leon with Vivienne kissing his cheek. The phone flew over to Leon as he shut his locker with a drawstring bag over his shoulders with his shirt in it. He glanced over at Raihan and noticed his friend staring directly at him. 

“Rai…? You alright, man?” 

“Are you-” Raihan’s fists clenched as he tried to figure out how to speak. 

“Am I what…?” 

“Are you fucking my sister?” 

All the color drained from Leon’s face as he saw his friends eyes narrow, becoming dragon like. He swallowed hard and laughed nervously. 

“Um, okay, Rai, listen-”

“You’re fucking my SISTER?” Raihan’s question came out more as a snarl as he stood up suddenly. 

“Fuck.” Leon bolted through the door to the emergency stairs, skipping steps. 

“LEON! GET BACK HERE NOW!!!” Raihan shouted in hot pursuit of his friend. 

Vivienne was enjoying a quiet early afternoon, walking around the streets of Wyndon. She found herself looking at the stands before you walked up the stairs to the stadium. There was a decently small crowd. She managed to look at two stands before hearing yelling; a distinct and rather familiar yelling. 

“LEON!” 

Her head quickly snapped in the direction of the yelling and saw Leon skipping the last few steps and bolting away from the angered dragon leader. Raihan was hot on his heels. Leon ran around people and saw Vivienne. His face had fear written all over it as he sprinted past her. 

“He knows!” He managed to get out in a strained voice as he bolted down the road. 

“He-Oh no…” 

Raihan flew past her, not realizing it was her in his rage. Vivienne blinked a few times trying to process what had happened. 

“YOU ARE SO DEAD, LEON.” Raihan shouted ahead of her, snapping her out of her stupor. 

“Oh no… RAIHAN.” Vivienne began sprinting after them, turning a sharp right where they disappeared. “DON’T KILL MY BOYFRIEND!” 

Leon kept running and running, turning onto streets, jumping over benches, but no one could distance long legs behind him. Raihan’s height gave him more distance when it came to running, and Leon knew he wasn’t going to outrun him. But he sure as hell was going to try. Unfortunately for Leon, his luck had run out. He had made one wrong turn and found himself at a dead end with nowhere to run. The sound of running feet echoed and slowed to a stop behind him. He turned and found Raihan standing there huffing and glaring at him. 

“You… son… of a bitch…” Raihan growled beginning to slowly approach him. 

“Raihan, Raihan, listen to me. I can explain.” Leon put his hands up. “Rai, you know me. I wouldn’t hurt her.” 

“I don’t care! That’s my little sister!” 

Panting and huffing came from behind Raihan. Vivienne slowed to a stop, bending over with her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. 

“Arceus… I fucking hate running… Raihan… don’t h- how do you guys run without the burning in your chest?” She got her breathing under control, she stood up straight, stepping up to Raihan, grabbing his arm gently. “Raihan, we were going to tell you-” Raihan ripped his arm away from her grip, moving away from her. 

“When? When were you going to tell me? How long has this been going on anyway?” 

Vivienne went to answer but Leon beat her to it, not wanting her to get yelled at. 

“Since she came back…” Leon answered honestly. “I didn’t even know she was your sister!” 

“And when did you find out she was my sister? Because, Leon, it’s pretty damn easy to point out that she looks a lot like me! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out!” 

Leon went silent, his eyes focusing on Vivienne then on Raihan before staring down at the ground. He sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his head. 

“Since the rugby game…” Leon flinched when Raihan flared up again. 

“ARE YOU SERIOUS? That was two fucking months ago, and neither of you TOLD ME you two were dating? Does anyone else know?” 

“Raihan, why are you making a big deal-” Vivienne began but fell silent when she was cut off again. 

“Because he’s my best friend, and he didn’t even bother asking if it was okay to date my sister! Like hell man, if I was into Sonia, I would at least ASK and be like ‘hey, is it okay if I date your ex?’ Now neither of you answering my question: does anyone else know?” 

Vivienne kicked at a stone to the side, avoiding eye contact with her brother. 

“The gym leaders… Leon’s family… Everett…” Vivienne could tell it was going to get ugly quickly with her answer. 

Raihan stood there, clenching his fists tightly. His whole body was tense. He didn’t say a word. Leon took a few steps forward closer to his friend, remaining cautious with each step. 

“Rai, listen to me… We were going to talk to you about it… we really were… I was scared how you would react if I would have told you-” 

“You were scared of how I’d react? If you would have come to me sooner and told me what was going on, I wouldn’t be this fucking PISSED right now, Leon!” Raihan spat back at him. “This is the shittiest thing you’ve ever done.” Raihan growled, gripping at his hair as he turned away from his friend. 

“Raihan, I’m-” Leon was cut off as Raihan swung around and decked him right in the jaw, watching him stumble back. 

“Fuck off, Leon. Just fuck off.” 

Raihan stormed out of the alley as Vivienne rushed over to Leon, steadying him on his feet. Leon rubbed his jaw, flinching from the pain. He glanced at Vivienne sadly and sighed, shaking his head lightly. 

“I really did deserve that one… Ow…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY. So sorry. Writing has been really hard for me lately, and this was going to start the angst, but I decided to just save that for the next chapter. I need to get my groove back on, guys. It's a struggle. I have to hurt my babies, and I don't want to hurt my himbo again... but I must... You guys know the drill...


	24. Doubts and Omens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Lindsay for helping come up with the text names for Gordie and Leon.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The next morning was quiet. Vivienne sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast, reading through one of the books she had on The Darkest Day. She heard Raihan’s door open and footsteps down the hall. He walked into the kitchen, Vivienne smiling lightly at him. 

“Good morning.” She tried to lighten the mood. He didn’t say anything. He wouldn’t even look at her. She frowned as she watched him open the fridge and grab one of his sports drinks. He closed the fridge door a little rougher than necessary, making her flinch a little. “Rai, will you please talk to me…?” 

Raihan continued ignoring her, grabbing a protein bar, walking out of the kitchen towards the front door. She glanced down at the table, sighing heavily, noticing his wallet there. 

“Wallet.” She called out after him. 

There was a moment of silence before Raihan walked back in, snatching the wallet off the table. He was out of the kitchen in a matter of seconds, then the front door slammed shut. Vivienne put her head in her hands, groaning. This was not how she wanted things to go down. 

A Week and a Half Later

Leon was one of the last of the stragglers to walk into the conference room for the League meeting. The other leaders who walked in before him took their seats, leaving him with one seat to sit at: Right beside Raihan. He felt Raihan’s eyes burning into him as he slowly made his way to the seat. Raihan glared him down the entire time, his head shifting as Leon sat down in the chair. Leon slowly turned his head to see Raihan still glaring at him. If there weren’t people around, he probably would have snarled at the champion. Raihan kept his eyes on Leon’s for a moment before looking straight ahead. 

The others began to notice something was off between the two friends. It was unlike them not to greet each other enthusiastically when seeing each other. The tension was heavy in the room, making everyone uncomfortable. They wanted to ask what was wrong, but no one was willing to be the first one to ask. The way Raihan was sitting, he appeared to be ready to pounce if someone said one word to him. The Chairman stepped into the room with his usual cheerful disposition. He stopped, scanning the room carefully. Everyone was quiet. Too quiet. He shrugged it off and began the meeting like normal. 

“Good morning, everyone. This meeting is going to be longer than normal since the semi-finals and finals are coming up here soon. So I’ll go ahead and start.” 

As the Chairman began to speak, Leon glanced over at Piers and Gordie, they were sitting beside each other. Piers leaned back in his chair, his eyes shifting from Leon to Raihan before falling back on Leon. He nodded his head toward Raihan, his eyebrow raised. Leon shook his head lightly then looked down, seeing his phone light up in his pocket. He stealthily took his phone out and saw Gordie had messaged him. 

**_Stone Cold Bitch😎: Yo, dude. What’s with dragon boi giving you the third degree?_ **

**_Champleon🔥: I’ll explain at break… he found out…_ **

Gordie flinched as he read that text and showed Piers before slipping his phone away. Leon tried to focus on the meeting, but all he could focus on was Raihan aggressively drumming his fingers on his thigh and other thoughts running through his head. The semi-finals were next month, his best friend wouldn’t speak to him, the Chairman was back on the importance of his plan to save the future , and Vivienne hadn’t really talked much to him lately after what had happened between Raihan. It was all beginning to weigh on him, stressing him out more than normal. He could have easily avoided the Raihan situation if he had just gone to Raihan and asked him if it was okay to go out with Vivienne. That one was definitely on him, but he didn’t know why Vivienne wouldn’t talk to him. Was she angry with him? Was she embarrassed by what happened? Did he mess up somehow? He had no idea, and Everett’s words from last week kept adding onto the doubt. 

_ “She’s either embarrassed of you or you’re just scared of her brother.”  _

_ “Oh so she’s dubbed me the bad guy now, huh? Oh, Vivienne… Vivienne… you really are something else, aren’t you…?” _

_ “Oh, and fair warning: she doesn’t stick around long when she doesn’t get what she wants… but… I’m sure you’re already aware of that from past experiences..”  _

Leon was shaken out of his thoughts as the Chairman announced they would be taking a ten minute break. Raihan was out of his seat, walking out the door. Everyone quietly watched him leave the conference room. Leon sighed heavily, plopping his head on the table. The others jumped at the thud noise, eyeing Leon worriedly. 

“Leon, sweetheart, are you alright?” Melony was the first to speak up, resting her hand on his shoulder. 

“Yes ma’am… I’m fine…” He mumbled, running his hands through his hair as he sat up.

“Okay… if you say so, dear. If you need to talk, you know I’m here to listen.” 

As soon as Melony walked away, Gordie and Piers were sitting on the table in front of Leon. 

“Okay, dude, spill. How did he find out?” Gordie folded his arms across his chest, checking to make sure Raihan hadn’t walked back in yet. 

“Well, the other week she spent the night and we-” Leon peered over Piers and Gordie to see if Kabu was in the room. He didn’t need Kabu threatening his life knowing how close he was to Raihan and Vivienne. When he saw the fire-type Gym Leader wasn’t in the room, he turned his attention back to his friends only to notice Allister was still in the room, playing on his phone. Leon hesitated, his voice becoming hushed. “We did… things and in the morning she left a lot of marks.” 

“Oh no…” Piers and Gordie mumbled at the same time. 

“Yeah, and I forgot Raihan was coming up that day. We went to the stadium for something, I don’t even remember what for and one of the staff members spilled coffee all over my shirt.” 

“Oh no…” 

“So of course, me, being the complete fucking dumbass I am, went to the locker room and pulled off my shirt without thinking ‘hey, you probably shouldn’t take your shirt off in front of your girlfriend’s brother after she left marks all over your body’.” 

“Leon, dude… come on.” Gordie facepalmed, shaking his head. 

“That’s rough, mate.” Piers rubbed the back of his head, grimacing at the thought of Raihan’s reaction. 

“Yeah, so he put two and two together because I guess Raihan does the same thing as Vivienne and I guess he saw my phone lockscreen because, here’s me, a fucking dumbass, who leaves their phone right next to him, thinking nothing of it.” 

“Oh boy…” 

“Next thing you know, I’m running for my life, he’s chasing me through the streets, cornered me in an alley, and decked me right in the face. He hasn’t spoken to me in almost two weeks, he won’t talk to Vivienne from what I’ve actually heard from her, and I haven’t really heard from my girlfriend much for the past two weeks, so yeah. Welcome to my shit show I have created.” 

“Dude… Leon, I’m going to need you to breathe.” Gordie glanced over at the door before looking back at Leon. Leon rarely got anxious over anything, but he did, it usually began to put him in a spiral that Gordie knew wasn’t good. “I’m sure everything will be alright soon, and I’m sure Viv is just trying to deal with Raihan at home. You know how he gets. I mean, he can’t stay mad at you forever, can he?” 

“I don’t know, mate. Once something is on Raihan’s mind, he doesn’t let it go that easily. I mean, look at his track record of doing anything to try and beat Leon. I think you both need to talk to him together and explain that this relationship isn’t going anywhere any time soon.” 

“Never thought of ‘talking to him together’ bit…” Leon thought to himself. His phone flew out of his pocket, buzzing at him. He smiled lightly seeing Vivienne’s name pop up on the screen as he grabbed the phone, standing up. “Viv’s calling. I’ll be back.” 

“Aight, Romeo. Told you it would be fine.” Gordie patted him on the back as Leon made his way out to the hallway. 

The others were down the hall, chatting when Leon stepped out into the hall. It was quiet where he was standing when he answered the phone. 

“Were your ears burning?” 

He heard humming over the phone before she snickered. 

“Mmm, no. Why? Were you talking about me?” He could hear the playfulness in her tone, giving him some reassurance he didn’t mess things up. 

“Maybe I was, maybe I wasn’t.” Leon leaned against the wall, looking down the hall for any sign of Raihan. “What are you up to, baby?”

“Oh just bored at work… my next tour isn’t until 1, and I just needed to hear your voice…” Her voice almost seemed to falter as she spoke. 

“I can say I needed to hear your voice right about now… is everything alright…?” 

“Not really… I feel like shit about the Raihan situation… and I feel awful that I haven’t really talked to you much the past two weeks…” 

“Hey, no, it’s okay… is it starting to get to you…?” 

He heard a heavy sigh over the phone, taking that as a yes. 

“Yes… the whole thing sucks… He hasn’t spoken a single word to me and I’m always worried to check my phone when he’s around because I’ll get the death glare… It just really hurts and sucks, Leon… Raihan and I were always so close, and I really messed everything up for myself and you…”

“Baby, you can’t put all the blame on yourself.” He paused. “Piers said we should try talking to him together… since, you know, talking individually isn’t working.” 

“Hm… that could work…” she hummed as she was thinking. “Okay, so how about this: we talk to him somewhere he has to behave himself but somewhere he’s comfortable with. Then we’ll get him to talk somehow or at least we can explain everything.” 

“That could work.”

“If that doesn’t work, we can just run away together and move to Kanto and raise Charmanders and Dragon Pokemon.” 

It was taking everything she had not to laugh at her own words. He knew she was joking, but it honestly didn’t sound like a bad back up plan. It was nice hearing the cheerfulness slowly return to her voice. 

“Hey now, don’t go tempting me with the second option. It’s almost too enticing.” 

“Oh, I know it is, but running away from problems runs in the family, and I- I need to learn to stop running from things first…” 

Vivienne went quiet, Leon waiting for her to respond. 

“Vivienne?” 

“Huh? Oh sorry. Um, how about we meet at the Hammerlocke Battle Cafe tomorrow evening, then I’ll talk to Raihan when he gets home tonight. Okay?” 

“Oh uh, yeah, that works. What time?” 

“Does five work?” 

“Five is perfect.” He noticed the others gradually making their way back to the conference room. “Vivienne, are you sure everything’s okay…? I didn’t do anything to upset you, did I…?” 

“Oh, I’m fine, baby… you didn’t do anything wrong. I’ve just been stressed out about Raihan. I had a wonderful time the other week. I just- hm… I need to talk to you about something tomorrow, if we have time after talking to Raihan.” 

“What about?” 

“Just stuff that happened in Hoenn when I was there…” 

“Oh, okay, baby…” Leon watched as a few people went into the conference room. He sighed heavily, not wanting to go back in there. He wanted to just stay on the phone a little while longer with her. His eyes watched Raihan as he walked past him, his hands in his pockets and his head hung low. Leon waited until he was inside to speak. “Hey, sweetheart, I have to go back to my meeting, okay?” 

“Oh okay, baby. That’s fine. I’ll text you later, I promise.” 

“I’ll be looking forward to it.” He paused, having the sudden urge to say something to her. “Vivienne?” 

“Yes, love?” 

“I-I…” He sighed heavily, shaking his head. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

The call ended. Leon huffed, running a hand through his hair. With all the confidence he had, he wasn’t brave enough to even say ‘I love you’ to her. Something was holding him back from saying it, and he wasn’t sure what it was. He shoved his phone into his pocket as he stepped back into the room with his head hung low. He just needed a win this week, one good thing to happen. 

When Raihan got home later that evening, Vivienne was sitting on the couch, sketching in her sketchbook. She didn’t look up when the door opened and closed. She continued drawing. He stepped further into the room, heading for the kitchen when he stopped, smelling a familiar, pleasant scent coming from there. 

“I made mum’s curry for dinner tonight. I made you a plate and wrapped it up for you. It’s on the counter. Didn’t know when you’d be home.” 

Vivienne never looked up from her sketchbook as she spoke, erasing something. Raihan watched her carefully, his face softening. He was beginning to think he had been too hard on Vivienne lately, but he was still angry with both of them for lying to him all this time. He was surprised she was still being nice to him after the way he had been treating her lately. Raihan rubbed the back of his neck, staring down the ground. 

“Um… thanks.” 

“Yup.” She blandly responded, only glancing up from her drawing when he walked into the kitchen. 

He was gone for a few minutes before he came out into the living room with his food, sitting in one of the chairs. The silence between the two was deafening. The scratching of the pencil on the paper was the only sound filling the room. The quiet was beginning to bother Raihan as he carefully watched his sister. She had dark circles under her eyes and she was chewing on her bottom lip. No matter how much he wanted to punish her for everything, he couldn’t ignore Vivienne anymore. 

“How-how was your day?” He wasn’t sure if he would even get a response, but it was worth a try. To be fair, he wouldn’t have blamed her for being petty and giving him the same treatment. 

“It was fine. Had a decent couple of groups today, finally got to talk to Leon, did some grocery shopping. Just a day.” 

“Oh…” He took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool. He couldn’t stop them from dating, that wasn’t his decision to make. But he certainly didn’t have to like it. “That sounds nice…”

“Yeah, it was nice.” Vivienne never looked up from her page. 

“Vivienne, I’m-” Raihan began but was cut off when Vivienne closed her book. 

“Do you know how hard the past two weeks have been for me, Raihan…? And Leon? Because I think you’ve made a point: we both feel like shit.” 

“I can imagine…” 

“It’s been mentally exhausting, and it hurt a lot, but I dealt with it because I hurt you by lying to you. But what hurt was you wouldn’t talk to me about anything… or even about what happened. I’m not trying to make you feel bad or anything like that because I deserve all of this, but it still sucks nonetheless.” 

“I know… I know… Can we-can we talk about this…?” 

“Honestly, I don’t feel like talking about it tonight because I’m exhausted.” Vivienne answered, standing up with her sketchbook clutched to her chest. 

“Vivi, please… I want to make this better. Can we talk tomorrow…?” 

Vivienne stood there, thinking for a moment. She nodded, heading towards her room. 

“I have a presentation I’m doing for Professor Celestine tomorrow, but if you’d like to meet me at the Battle Cafe at 5, we can talk then.” 

“Yeah, I can do that…” 

“Okay, cool. Good night.” Vivienne walked into her room and closed the door behind her without another word. 

“Night, Vivienne…”

Raihan stood outside the cafe, waiting for Vivienne to show up. He spotted her walking towards him with a small smile on her face. She stopped when she got to him, her hands shoved in her pockets. 

“Hey,” she greeted him cheerfully. 

“Hey, how was the presentation?” 

“Oh the presentation went really well, actually.” 

They began walking towards the door as she spoke. They were stopped by the sound of a Corviknight cawing from above. They both turned and saw a Flying Taxi land. Out of the cab came Leon, closing the door behind him and waving at the cabbie. He turned to face the siblings and smiled and waved hesitantly. Raihan grimaced but noticed how Vivienne’s face lit up seeing Leon. 

“Hi, bab- huh?” 

Vivienne glanced down and noticed one of her pokeballs shaking, one of her pokemon releasing itself. The same happened to Leon and out came Charizard and Arcanine. Charizard nuzzled his head against Vivienne’s arm as Arcanine repetitively licked Leon’s face, its tail wagging excitedly. Both trainers couldn’t help laughing, petting their partner’s pokemon. Raihan found himself smiling, at least a little, at the display, surprised to see Charizard and Fluffy act like this. 

“Oi, oi, Fluffy… easy there, bud.” Leon chuckled, scratching behind his ear. “I missed you too.” 

“There’s my handsome boy.” Vivienne cooed, scratching under Charizard’s chin, kissing his nose. “Did you miss me? Because I missed you.” 

Once both trainers returned their pokemon, Vivienne skipped over to Leon and hugged his neck tightly, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. Leon squeezed her in a big hug, holding her close to him. He pressed his lips against her cheek, rubbing her back. Leon looked over at Raihan and noticed him watching them. Vivienne pulled away and grabbed his hand, pulling him along towards her brother. They stopped. Vivienne stood between the two as there was a moment of silence and staring. She looked between the two, waiting for something to go down. Surprisingly, Raihan opened the door and held it open without saying a single word. 

Vivienne sat between the two guys and was internally screaming. No one spoke and Raihan wouldn’t give Leon a single glance. He sat there with his arms crossed, staring at a random spot on the floor. Leon just stared down at his hands as he wrung them. Releasing a heavy sigh, Vivienne turned her attention to her brother. 

“Rai, we just want to talk to you about this.” 

“Then talk…” Raihan grumbled. “I wasn’t expecting  _ him  _ to be here.” 

“I’m right here.” Leon glanced over at Raihan.

“I’m sorry, did someone just say something?” 

“Okay, no no, we’re not having this.” Vivienne cut in, huffing. “Raihan, you shouldn’t be mad at Leon for this. You should be mad at me. I’m the one who told him to wait to tell you. Leon wanted to come out with it early on, but I was scared that I would mess things up if we started telling people.” 

Raihan’s eyes shifted to his sister then Leon, giving him a hard look. 

“Is this true?” 

Leon nodded slowly, keeping his eyes focused on Raihan’s. The tension was still there, but gradually fading away. 

“Man, come on… you know me. I should have come to you, I know that, I really do, but I don’t want this to mess up our friendship. I care about Vivienne a lot, and I also care about you a lot. You’re my best friend, mate. I want to make things right again.” 

Raihan remained silent. Both Leon and Vivienne sat there quietly, waiting for him to say something; anything. He shifted in his seat, his body facing Leon now, resting his arms on the table. 

“What do you do when Vivienne is experiencing anxiety?” Raihan asked out of nowhere, focusing entirely on Leon. 

“W-what?” Leon stuttered. 

“Answer the question.” Raihan never took his eyes off Leon, staring intensely. 

“I uh- remind her to breathe and to focus on something… if I’m with her I hold her and tell her it will be okay, and I just listen to her if she wants to talk. If we’re not together, I try to get her to focus on something that makes her happy.”

“Hm… her favorite rugby team.” 

Leon grinned lightly, realizing this was going to be an interrogation. 

“She actually has two: the Kanto Fire Breathers and the Galar Black Knights.” 

He noticed Raihan’s eyebrow raise, obviously not expecting him to know the answer. 

“What are the three important things Vivienne values in life?” 

“Family, Pokemon, and her friends.” 

Leon was becoming more confident with his answers as Raihan kept drilling him with questions. This continued for a while until Raihan stopped before asking the final question. Vivienne watched Raihan carefully, seeing how focused he was. She nervously tapped her fingers on her arms. He had always been protective of her, but she never realized how much he paid attention to detail. 

“Final question: why is Vivienne so special to you?” 

Leon was thrown off by that question. Most of the questions had been focused on Vivienne, but now he turned it onto him. It was hard to think of all the things right on the spot. 

“She-she’s caring and brilliant… and she-she makes me feel normal again…” Raihan tilted his head, sitting up as he continued to listen to Leon. “I-I don’t have to pretend around her… I don’t have to put on a face, I can just be me without feeling judged or without faking it. Vivienne literally lights up a room when she walks in, and it’s hard not to see how beautiful she is inside and out. That’s what makes her special to me: she makes me feel like me again.” 

Raihan sat there, his expression softening. Neither him or Vivienne saw that answer coming. Leon’s smile was genuine as he gazed over at Vivienne. There wasn’t any doubt in Raihan’s mind that his best friend actually cared about his sister. He chuckled, shaking his eyes, snapping Vivienne and Leon’s attention to him. A small smile lined his lips.

“I guess I can’t be too mad at you then… I’m still a little angry, but I can see you care a lot about my sister… But you better not hurt her. She is very important to me, and she deserves to be happy with someone who can treat her like a person for once. You understand that?

“Yeah, I understand that.” Leon nodded, unable to hide his smile. 

“Really?” Vivienne sat up excitedly. Before Raihan could even respond, she was out of her chair, hugging Raihan’s neck and kissing all over the side of his face. “You are the best big brother ever. I love you. I love you. I love you.” 

“Oi, oi, oi, I love you, too. Gah, you’re lucky you’re cute.” 

“I know, I know.” 

“Ey, I just wanted to let you guys know I’m closing up early today.” Bernard called over to their table from the counter. 

“Alright, Bernard, we’ll be getting out of your hair.” Raihan assured him, standing to his feet. 

The three headed out of the cafe, everything seeming to be alright now. That feeling would soon be a thing of the past. It was getting windier when they stepped outside, dark clouds were hovering over Hammerlock Hills in the distance. A storm was coming. Before anyone could say another word, they heard the familiar and annoying tsking sound that made Vivienne’s face pale. 

_ Oh, Arceus, no… no no no… don’t do this... _

“Well, well, well, look who I bumped into. Small world.” The three turned and saw Everett standing there with his hands in his pockets and his usual smug smirk on his face. “Fancy meeting you three here; together… my, my, my… lucky me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I am not dead. I promise. My friend got me into JoJo's Bizarre Adventures this past week, and I've been stressed with things going on lately. You got some pre angst at the end there. Ehehehehe


	25. Who Are You? (A Nightmare Come True)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may be slightly triggering... I've had two people read it before posting it, and they said I'm okay to post it. Guys... so sorry. The angst begins.

Chapter Twenty-Five

The three stood there, watching as Everett took a few steps closer to them, his hands shoved in his pockets like usual with the same arrogant smirk lining his lips. Everett seemed too happy at the moment, causing Vivienne to worry. Anytime Everett had that look on his face, he was up to something, and that something? Usually, it wasn’t good. A low growl came from beside her, making her look up. Raihan’s entire body was tense and completely still, like a predator ready to pounce. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw clenched shut. Vivienne rested a hand on his arm, causing him to loosen up. He was still on the defense, however. This was the first time meeting Everett in person. Raihan didn’t like him from the beginning, and he certainly didn’t like him now or ever in the future. 

“What do you want, Everett?” Vivienne managed to muster up some courage, her question coming off more as a growl. Everything was beginning to patch itself together, and she couldn’t have him going and unraveling it all again. 

“What do you mean? Can’t a guy just go out for an evening stroll?” 

“Not here.” 

“Hmmm.. last time I checked, there wasn’t a law saying I couldn’t stroll around Hammerlocke.” Everett kept his eyes focused on Leon as he spoke, pulling a hand out of his pocket. He was fidgeting with something in his hand, but no one noticed it. Leon felt a strange feeling come over him as Everett stared him down. It was as though something was messing with his mind, and he was finding it hard to look away from his sinister, green eyes. 

“I could arrange that.” Raihan snarled. 

Everett turned his attention away from Leon for the time being. The smug look on his face caused Raihan to clench his fists. If it hadn’t been for Vivienne’s hand on his arm, he would take a swing at him right then. 

“Are you ever not angry about something? Honestly, that must be quite annoying to deal with constantly.” 

“Oh, you haven’t seen me angry yet, mate…after what you’ve put my sister through, you’re lucky I haven’t wiped that smug look off your face.”

“Raihan, let’s just g-” Vivienne tried to push him away, but Everett cut in. 

“What I’ve put your sister through? Oh dear, dear, dear… There we go again with  _ me  _ made out to be the bad guy. Honestly, Vivienne, what is up with that?”

Before Vivienne could even answer, Raihan was already answering for her, standing more in front of her as though he was shielding her from Everett. 

“Let’s see, where does the list even begin? You used her, you cheated on her, you mentally and emotionally abused her, and you’re honestly just a piece of shit. Would you care for me to elaborate, or are we done here?”

“Do you all really think she’s all that innocent?” He scoffed, shaking his head. “I mean, really, she’s no angel with half the shit she did back in Hoenn.”

Vivienne became more nervous as a wicked smirk lined his lips. This was the moment she had been trying to avoid, the moment she dreaded more than anything. She glanced over at Leon. She never got a chance to talk to him about the dancing or the other events that had occurred while she was in Hoenn. She was supposed to do that after they had talked to Raihan, but now it seemed like she wouldn’t have a chance to do that herself. Everett was about to turn her whole world upside down once more. 

“What’s he talking about, Viv…?” Raihan tried to keep his tone strong, but his voice softened, glancing over at her with concern in his eyes. 

Vivienne shook her head, glaring at Everett with tears beginning to well up in her eyes.. Her eyes desperately pleaded for him not to say anything. 

_ Please, Everett… Don’t do this… please... _

“N-nothing, Rai…” She stuttered, Everett’s laugh short and loud. 

“Nothing? You didn’t tell brother dearest and your darling boyfriend about the time you helped break into Professor Birch’s lab and stole from him? Oh tsk tsk tsk, Viv, baby…” 

“I am not your baby.” She growled through clenched teeth. 

“Wait, you did what?” Raihan stepped back and stared down at her in disbelief. 

“Raihan, it wasn’t like that. It was for a good reason-”

“Oh, did she also tell you-”

“Everett, please stop…” she pleaded, begging for him to stop before he made it worse. She stepped forward becoming desperate. She could feel her chest tightening, her heart racing. “Please… don’t say anything more… I’m begging you…” 

Everett smirked darkly and continued speaking, looking directly at Leon as he continued to fidget with what was in his hand. The strange feeling came over Leon again. All the doubt he had been feeling the past two weeks had come back suddenly, only this time, ten times more intensified. 

“You really think that this slut cares about you when she’d sleep with anyone just to make a buck? She’d sleep with anyone just to get ahead in life. Look at me: I’m the nephew of the president of Macro Cosmos, my own father is a CEO. Come on, Leon, you see it, don’t you, mate?” 

“That’s not true! You made-”

“If I didn’t give her attention, she’d leave for hours upon hours with no call, no text, nothing out of her. It’s always about when it’s convenient for Vivienne. It’s always been like that. Pretty sure the ‘dancer’ bit was just to cover up for sleeping around.”

“None of that is true, Everett, and you know it!” 

“Oh look, Vivienne’s trying to be the victim again. Oh boo hoo. She’s always been manipulative, using people to get what she wants. She’d do anything to become a historian. Like wow, she’s doing it here, right now, and fucking Galar’s precious Champion on top of that, just to get what she wants. Once a whore, always a whore, they always say.”

Vivienne could see how hurt Leon was and shook her head as he stared at her like she had just slapped him in the face. Leon didn’t want to believe Everett’s words, he didn’t want to think about Vivienne using him. She wouldn’t, she couldn’t… But he couldn’t shake the building pressure in his mind from the intensifying doubt. This had happened too many times before, women using him to become famous, to gain likes, to brag that they slept with the Champion. It was happening all over again, and he actually believed Vivienne was different from the rest. He was even going to tell her he loved her. He turned his back to her and began walking away. 

“Leon-Leon, wait!” She ran after him. 

Raihan clenched his fists tightly, hearing the pompous laugh of Everett. Everett clicked his tongue, satisfied by his work. An almost animalistic growl rumbled in Raihan’s chest and throat. He trembled in anger from all the things he had said about his sister. His eyes slowly met Everett, glaring daggers at the smug son-of-a-bitch in front of him. Everett ran a hand through his hair, sighing in relief. 

“Ah, now that that’s handled. That’ll teach the fucking bitch to walk out on me.” He began to walk away from Raihan. 

“Hold it.” Raihan snarled. 

“Huh?”

As soon as Everett turned, he was clocked in the jaw, stumbling backwards. He was struck again and again and again before he was finally slammed up against the wall. Raihan growled and bared his fangs in the pathetic man’s face. He gripped onto his shirt with both hands, Everett’s feet hovering above the ground. Everett’s head was spinning as he tried to focus on Raihan in his daze. He smirked lazily, laughing feebly. Raihan grabbed him by the throat, squeezing it hard. Everett gasped for air, trying to peel his hand off his neck, unsuccessfully at that. 

“You fucking listen to me, you fucking piece of shit… You fucking come near my fucking sister again and say that shit again, I’ll fucking end you… I’ll make your death look like a bloody fucking accident, and I don’t give a fuck if you are the Chairman’s nephew… You don’t mess with a family of dragons… because we eat up pathetic, defenseless losers like you for dinner… and when you mess with one of our own, oh… you’ll regret it for the rest of your fucking pathetic, miserable life… I could kill you right now, but honestly, you’re not fucking worth going to prison for.” 

“How do you know I won’t tell the Chairman about this? Hm?” Everett choked out, the fear evident in his voice. His face was battered up and he was struggling to catch a breath. 

Raihan snarled, baring his fangs, barely an inch from Everett’s face. His eyes widened more as he stared into Raihan’s darkened eyes. Everett swore the leader’s eyes began to glow, a marking under his Dynamax Band glowing faintly at the same time. Everything about Raihan read danger and at any moment, he could snap him like a twig. 

“Because you know I’m not bluffing.” Raihan’s voice was lower than normal, gruff and deep. Raihan dropped him, watching the pathetic excuse of a human crumple to the ground. His eyes were slanted angrily, an adrenaline-like sensation flowing through his body. “Stay away… from my family, and get the fuck out of my city.”

Everett was a gasping and coughing mess as Raihan hurried off after Vivienne and Leon. He grabbed onto the wall and pulled himself up carefully, spatting blood out of his mouth. He wiped blood off his lip with the back of his hand, perplexed. He flipped the token, that he had been playing with in his hand, into the air and caught it, staring down at the ancient runes carved into it. 

“Huh… somehow my spell didn’t work on dragon douche… that’s odd…Oh well...” He shrugged as he watched the token combust into bright green flames before dissipating into sparkly green dust. He dusted the remains of the token off his hand and smirked at the disappearing Leader’s back. “Oh well… my spell at least worked on someone…”

Vivienne ran up to Leon, grabbing his arm to stop him. He ripped it out of her grip and kept walking, not even giving her a glance. She ran in front of him and put her hands up, resting them on his chest to make him stop. He tried to move past her, but she stayed in front of him. 

“Leon, Leon, please? Please! You have to listen to me! None of that was true.” She pleaded desperately.

“Move, Vivienne.” He growled, trembling. It was taking everything in him not to lose himself. 

“Leon, baby- I would never use you, I would never do any of that! You have to believe m-” 

“Okay, Vivienne, how the  _ hell  _ am I supposed to believe you when you fucking lied to Raihan and me? Huh? Like for fuck’s sake, Viv. Like were you ever going to tell me about all this, or were you just going to keep it to yourself so you could use me?” 

Leon grabbed at his head, the pressure increasing; a ringing sound began to ring through his head. It was almost like his mind was trying to fight back against something, screaming at him to stop doing this. But he couldn’t. 

“You don’t understand- you don’t understand what I had to do to prote-” 

“No, no I don’t understand, and I don’t think I want to understand. In fact, I believe this conversation is over. I’m going home.” 

He grabbed one of his Ultra Balls, Vivienne quickly grabbing his wrist. 

“No, no, no, baby, we can talk about this… we can talk about this… I’ll tell you everything.”

“What’s there to talk about, Viv?” He snapped, his entire body beginning to shake. “You want to talk about the real reason you came home? You want to talk about what you were actually doing these past two weeks? Do you actually fucking care about me or was that just part of your whole plot to use me? Wow, was I stupid for falling for it all over again.” He began walking forward, but Vivienne pulled him back by his wrist.

“Leon, you know I care about you! Please don’t go! I love you.” 

Leon froze. This was the first time she ever said she loved him, at least to his knowledge. But he didn’t think he could believe it. Everett’s words still floating about in his head. His eyes watered as he ripped his wrist from her grip. He turned his back and threw the Ultra Ball in his hand and released Charizard. Charizard noticed how upset Vivienne and Leon were and instantly became concerned. He stopped in front of Charizard, clenching his eyes shut, tears beginning to fall. He clenched his fists, angry at himself for crying. 

“You know, I thought you were different from all the rest...I was even going to tell you I loved you… I never thought I’d say that to someone again… but I don’t think I can allow myself to love someone who is living a huge lie.”

Leon hopped onto Charizard’s back and yelled out where he wanted to go. Charizard took off, leaving Vivienne standing there in shock, her heart completely shattered. She wanted to scream after him, try to get him to come back and listen, but the words wouldn’t come out of her mouth. She felt numb all of a sudden, the world spiralling. It could have been from the shock, it could have been from anything, but everything was toppling, crashing on top of her.

She made her way down the path to the house, the wind picking up, thunder crackling in the distance. She walked into the guest house, staring into the void. Without even realizing it, Vivienne took off her Pokeball belt, placing it on the table next to the door. She slowly dragged herself into the kitchen, opening the cabinet, pulling out a full bottle of vodka. She grabbed a glass from the cabinet above the sink, pouring herself a double shot. Vivienne quickly downed it, hissing as the alcohol burned going down her throat, gripping onto the counter. All she could see was the look on Leon’s face and how betrayed he appeared. Coming home was supposed to be her escape from hell, an escape from manipulation and degradation; all for the sake of wanting to start over fresh again. Now she lost the only person who made her feel truly loved and like herself again. The pain and hurt in his amber eyes burned in her mind. Clenching her eyes shut, new tears rolled down her face as she poured herself another shot, quickly downing that one before resorting to drinking from the bottle. She choked back a sob, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

“M-maybe I am cursed...I don’t de-deserve to be happy… I don’t- I don’t-He won… He won… Everett got what he wanted… I don’t deserve- I don’t-”

Raihan staring at her like he didn’t know her anymore flashed into her thoughts as a bolt of lightning lit up the sky, thunder crashing around her. She turned her head as the lightning lit up the sky outside the kitchen window, outlining the old manor house. The alcohol was starting to make her head fuzzy as she put the lid back on the bottle. She gripped onto the bottle as she headed out the kitchen door, staggering just slightly from the raging wind and the dizzy feeling in her head. 

The front steps creaked as Vivienne stepped onto the porch. She bent down carefully and pulled the spare key from under the mat, unlocking the door. The key fell from her hand as she stepped inside for the first time in five years. All the furniture was covered in white sheets, old family photos lined the wall, leading up the staircase. Children’s laughter seemed to echo in her head or through the house. Was the laughter from the nostalgia and memories of being in her childhood home, where so many happy memories occurred? Or was there something taunting, mocking her of a happy childhood that was stripped away from her? She couldn’t tell the difference. Slowly, she made her way upstairs. The creaking steps echoing throughout the house. It was cold, unusually cold, throughout the house. Goosebumps formed on her skin as the hair stood up on her arms. It felt as though someone or something was watching her, but she didn’t care. Her feet found the second landing, heading down the hall. 

Unscrewing the lid, she lazily tossed the lid to the side, swigging the clear liquid straight from the bottle as she gripped onto the door knob, pushing the door open. She stumbled into the room, using her hip to shut the door, leaning against it. She eyed the latch on the door and fumbled with it for a moment before locking herself in. It was her father’s old study. This was the one room she used to hide in when she was upset as a child. It was always a comfort to her with the scent of old books and sandalwood incense. Stumbling further into the room, she caught herself on the desk, trying to make the room stop spinning, trying to drink the images away, trying anything to numb the pain. She fell back against the wall and slid down to the floor. She took another swig from the bottle, her hand trembling. 

_ “I don’t think I can allow myself to love someone who is living a huge lie.”  _

Vivienne wiped her tears with the palm of her hand roughly, taking a longer gulp. She brought the bottle from her lips and gritted her teeth. Her chest was tightening hearing Leon’s words in her head. She couldn’t see them, but she wasn’t the only one in the room. 

The Gray Manor was centuries of years old and had its share of hauntings over the many years. When Aster passed away and the house being vacant the past five years, a swarm of Haunter began to live in the house, feeding off the sadness that was left behind. The Haunters became corrupt, spiteful, and territorial. They didn’t like anyone intruding on their territory, and those that did usually faced their wrath and cruel nature. Sets of pure white eyes narrowed as they watched her drowning her sorrows. They fed off the negative energy she was giving off. Dark, malicious smirks lined their dark, purple figures. The Haunters dissipated. 

Out of nowhere, voices began echoing through the room, causing Vivienne to curl up. A purple haze began to creep along the floor. The temperature in the room turned ice cold, Vivienne’s breath appearing in front of her. Half the bottle was already gone, but something, other than the alcohol, was messing with her head.. She broke into sobs as she started hearing the voices of everyone important to her, and the things she heard weren’t pleasant or reassuring. 

_ “Never thought I’d have a whore and liar for a daughter… you disgrace this family.”  _

_ “You’ve been nothing but a burden.”  _

_ “You’ll never amount to anything. You just hurt people, people who care about you.”  _

_ “No one would actually care if you were gone, Vivienne. You’re so insignificant.”  _

_ “Maybe it’s true you don’t deserve anyone better than Everett.”  _

_ “You’ll never be anyone great, Vivienne…” _

_ “Whore.” _

_ “Liar.” _

_ “Thief.”  _

_ “Manipulative little slut.” _

_ “Imagine if your mother was here right now… she’d be so disappointed in you…”  _

Vivienne had been gripping onto her hair, trying to force the voices out of her head. She couldn’t take it any longer. 

“LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” She screamed, throwing the bottle with all her might. She covered her ears, sobbing harder.

Raihan frantically searched around Hammerlocke, not finding Leon or Vivienne anywhere. He asked around and no one had seen Vivienne. One person said they saw them together, but Leon flew away on his Charizard and she headed towards the Vault. He tried calling Leon but he wouldn’t pick up, and the same for Vivienne. She always picked up his calls. Something was wrong. He had a bad feeling come over his body as he quickly dialed a number, waiting for them to pick up. The call connected, a familiar voice came over the phone. It was Kabu. 

“Raihan, what’s-”

“Kabu, I need you to get to Hammerlocke now.” Raihan was running in the direction of home, pushing past people as he ran. People saw him running and quickly jumped out of the way as he sprinted past. 

“Wow, wow, what happened? What’s going on?” 

“I think Vivienne is going to do something really stupid, and I don’t know who else to call. I don’t have anyone- I can’t lose anyone else, Kabu. I need you here. I think she’s at the guest house.” All of his words were overlapping one another, panic lacing his words. 

Kabu could hear the panic in Raihan’s voice. Raihan never panicked. 

“Raihan- Raihan, I need you to stay calm. I’m leaving now. Okay?” 

“I-I’ll try…” He ended the call and shoved his phone into his pocket. 

He threw the gate open, running towards the guest house. Big raindrops began to slowly pelt the ground as the storm began to pick up. He held onto his headband as a gust of wind blew through. He threw the front door open and hurried inside, searching every room. 

“Vivienne! Vivienne!!!” His voice cracked with the last name he called out. 

There was no response. Vivienne wasn’t there. His eyes landed on her Pokeball Belt, dread beginning to take over. She had to be nearby. She never went anywhere without her pokemon. Why would she just leave her pokemon there if she wasn’t nearby?

He ran back outside, thunder booming, the sky raging above. He scanned the entire area around the guest house, not seeing any sight of her. 

“VIVIENNE!!” He shouted over the bouts of gusts and thunder. 

Lightning flashed, followed by another cacophonous boom. He heard the sound of a door slamming against a wall. His head sharply turned towards the main house: the door was wide open, hitting the interior wall. 

“Oh no…”

His eyes widened as he bolted for the house. He ran inside shouting her name again. Raihan knew what haunted this house, and he knew that Vivienne wasn’t safe alone 

“Vivienne!!!” He was about to start searching when he heard a scream and glass shattering upstairs.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!” 

He skipped steps as he bounded up the stairs. He opened every door, peering into the rooms. No Vivienne. The next room. No Vivienne. The next room. No Vivienne. He got to his father’s study and turned the knob, finding it locked from the inside. This room wasn’t locked the last time he inspected the place. He started pounding on the door with one hand as the other tried to pull the door open.

“Vivienne! Vivienne!!! Open the door! It’s Rai. Please open the door! Viv!” 

He leaned his ear against the door, hearing her muffled voice and Haunters laughing. Raihan could have sworn he heard Vivenne say mother and his eyes widened. He started frantically slamming his body full force against the door, knowing exactly what the Haunters were trying to do.

“Vivienne! That’s not mum! Don’t listen to them! Vivienne!!!” He kept slamming himself against the door, feeling the door starting to budge. He couldn’t lose anyone else. He couldn’t lose his sister. Not when he finally got her back. He reached for an Ultra Ball, stepping back, releasing Duraludon. “Duraludon! Break down the door!”

The voices ceased. Then the calm, melodious voice of her mother filled the room. Her words were kind and soft. Vivienne slowly raised her head, seeing a glowing, faded image of her mother standing near the balcony door. She smiled softly at Vivienne, holding her hand out to her. 

“My darling… don’t cry… come to me…” Aster cooed. 

The door to the balcony swung open as lightning and thunder crashed outside, the wind’s howl shrill. There was knocking and shouting at the door, but Vivienne couldn’t hear it, entranced by the voice and spirit of her mother. 

“M-mother…?” She pulled herself up carefully, staggering. She slowly stumbled towards her mother, holding her hand out to her. “Mummy… I’m so sorry…”

“It’s okay, my darling… come to me…” The spirit began to walk backwards out onto the balcony, standing near the railing. “It will be okay in the end, little one…” 

“I just wanted to start over… I just wanted to be me again… I wanted to be happy again...I never wanted to hurt anyone…it hurts, mother… why does it hurt this much…?” Vivienne sobbed, her voice shaky, tripping over the rug, catching herself on the door frame. 

“I know, darling…you’ll soon feel no more pain, my darling.” 

“Really…? No more pain…?” 

Vivienne reached to grab her mother’s hand. Her hand grabbed onto the railing instead. Her mother was no longer in front of her. She gripped onto the railing to steady herself, staring over the edge. The ground below her doubling and spinning, the pouring down rain not helping her vision whatsoever. Aster rested her hands faintly on Vivienne’s shoulders, eyeing the ground below them. She smirked darkly, much like a Haunter’s smirk, and leaned into Vivienne’s ear. 

“No more pain… All of it would go away, my darling… then we’ll be reunited… wouldn’t you like that…?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kind of mean and left it on a cliff hanger... ooops... 
> 
> Quite a few things that have been addressed in other chapters came up. I wonder why the spell wouldn't work on Raihan. Why can Everett use magic? Raihan and Vivienne have had the same marking glow at different times now. Hmmmm. Guess we shall find out.


	26. Hopeless

Chapter Twenty-Six

_ Draken found himself standing in his study back home in Galar. There was a raging storm outside. A bolt of lightning flashed outside, lighting the room for a moment. He heard sobbing and glanced down, finding Vivienne sitting there against the wall, crying, with a bottle of alcohol in her hand. His eyes widened as he watched her crying and covering her ears from voices that were filling the ear. He rushed over to her and crouched down beside her.  _

_ “Vivienne? Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” He reached a hand out to touch her shoulder, only for it to go right through her. He drew his hand back in shock, staring down at his hand. “Wh-what’s going on?”  _

_ “LEAVE ME ALONE!” Vivienne screamed, throwing the bottle.  _

_ Draken stood up suddenly from the outburst, watching the bottle shatter into tiny pieces. He hadn’t seen Vivienne this upset since her mental breakdown a few years ago. His fists clenched in frustration that he couldn’t comfort her or do anything at the moment. The familiar voice of his wife snapped him out of his thoughts, his head sharply looking ahead.  _

_ “My darling… don’t cry… come to me…” Aster cooed.  _

_ Draken almost didn’t hear the furious knocking at the door or the balcony door flying open. His eyes were focused on his wife. Her long, flowing, white hair tossed to the side from the wind blowing through the door, Vivienne was now taller than her by a couple of inches, and she was wearing her usual long skirt and tank top she wore around the house. Draken often dreamt of his wife, but this time, it was different. Something was off. Her usual bright brown eyes were black, almost demonic, and it felt like he was watching something in real time, considering the state his body was in at the moment.  _

_ “Vivienne! Vivienne!!! Open the door! It’s Rai. Please open the door! Viv!” _

_ Draken’s head turned towards the door, hearing Raihan’s frantic voice, the door knob rattling. Draken noticed Vivienne must have locked it. He tried to unlock it, but his hand passed through it again. He growled as he became more frustrated that he couldn’t help either of his children at the moment. He had a bad feeling something was going to happen, his chest heavy and heart racing. Eerie, laughter of Haunters began to fill the room, Draken’s blood running cold from the sound. Raihan’s next words only proved what he feared most.  _

_ “M-mother…?”  _

_ “Vivienne! That’s not mum! Don’t listen to them! Vivienne!!”  _

_ Draken staggered back as Raihan began slamming against the door. He reached for Vivienne’s arm as she walked past him, only for the same thing to happen moments before.  _

_ “Vivienne! Listen to your brother! That’s not your mother! Kaida! Listen to me! AAAHG. WHY CAN’T I DO ANYTHING?” _

_ Draken froze when his eyes met his wife’s. She was staring right at him, only her face was distorted with the malicious smirk of a haunter and dark narrowed eyes. The smirk darkened as it slowly turned its head away from him, following Vivienne out onto the balcony. His eyes widened in horror as he tried to run towards the balcony but something pulled him back, the space between him and the balcony suddenly a large distance away. Draken fought against the unknown force, trying to get to the balcony. Vivienne was standing by the railing now. Their voices echoed through the room.  _

_ “You’ll soon feel no more pain, my darling.”  _

_ “Really…? No more pain…?”  _

_ “VIVIENNE! Arceus….don’t you fucking do this to me, Arceus… Don’t you fucking take my baby girl from me too…” He choked on his words as tears began welling up in his eyes. He watched in horror as Vivienne began to lean over the railing. He cried out in frustration, breaking free from the force, sprinting towards the balcony with his arm reached out. “VIVIENNE!”  _

Draken bolted up from his sleep, breathing heavily, shouting Vivienne’s name. His eyes were glowing a bright blue as well as the family tattoo he had on his wrist. His eyes were tearful as he looked around the room. Vivienne, Raihan, and the Aster impersonator weren’t there. He was back in his bedroom in Fallarbor Town. That dream felt all too real and left him with a heavy and bad feeling even after waking up. It took him a moment to process the running footsteps coming down the hall as he took notice of his tattoo glowing. Zinnia threw the door open, worrying written all over her expression.

“Uncle Draken, what’s-” She stopped mid sentence when she saw his eyes and wrist slowly fade back to normal. “Wh-why are your eyes and wrist glowing…?” 

Draken was about to answer her when his Rotom phone chirped, flying over to him. 

_ “Incoming Call!”  _

Draken glanced down at the clock on his nightstand, seeing it was seven in the morning. He couldn’t imagine who would be calling him this early in the morning, and it made him more nervous after the dream he had. He rubbed his face and groaned. 

“Answer and put it on speaker, Rotom…” He mumbled groggily. 

“Mr. Gray, good morning, this is Sammi from the airport. I hope I didn’t wake you up.” 

Draken sighed in relief that it wasn’t Raihan or someone calling with bad news about Vivienne. He relaxed a bit, rubbing the bridge of his nose. 

“Good morning, Miss Sammi. And no, you didn’t wake me… I was already awake.” 

“Oh alright! Well, I just wanted to let you know that we have our first available flight to Galar in a couple hours. I know it’s really soon, but I can make sure you get on the plane if you still have your family emergency.” 

“Put us down for it. We’ll be there. Thank you so much, Sammi.” 

“You’re very welcome, Mr. Gray! Have a good morning. We’ll see you soon!” 

Draken was practically out of bed as soon as the call ended. He noticed Zinnia still staring at him and stopped for a moment. 

“Why are you staring…?” 

“Are we just going to forget the fact your eyes were glowing and you literally screamed Vivienne’s name?” Zinnia placed her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes. 

“We’ll discuss that later. I need to get to my kids. I have a bad feeling something happened.” 

“A bad feeling? What do you mean by that?” 

“I don’t know, I just have a bad feeling. We’re leaving in twenty minutes.” 

Zinnia sighed heavily and walked out of his room to get ready. As soon as Draken was finished getting, he grabbed his Rotom phone and called Vivienne. It instantly went to her voicemail. 

_ “Hello! This is Vivienne Gray. I can’t make it to the phone at the moment, but please leave your name and a message, and I’ll get back to you shortly! Bye!”  _

“Hey, baby girl, it’s dad. If you could just give me a call back or send me a text as soon as you can, I’d appreciate it. Alright, I love you, princess.” 

Draken sighed heavily, not finding that a good sign. Vivienne was always good at answering her phone right away. He tried calling Raihan’s phone but got the same result. Draken cursed under his breath. This wasn’t making him feel better either. That boy always had his phone on him, constantly. 

_ “Yo, you’ve reached Leader Raihan’s phone. Sorry I missed your call, but leave your name and a message, and I’ll call back as soon as possible.”  _

“Hey, Rai, it’s dad. Please call me or text me when you get a chance. Love you, kiddo.” 

Draken ended the call, shoving his phone into his pants pocket as he grabbed his bag and backpack, heading out of his room. Something was wrong, and he wasn’t anywhere near his children to help them. 

Vivienne nodded, sniffling and releasing another shaky breath. She just wanted the pain of the last five years to go away. She wanted to feel like a person again. She wanted to feel okay again. She felt herself leaning forward when arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her away from the railing. Vivienne snapped out of her trance when she fell down on the ground into someone's arms. She turned her head and saw Raihan’s horrified and relieved expression. She completely broke down. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as he embraced her, holding her close and protectively as he saw the Haunters quickly scurry away, disappearing at the sight of Duraludon and Raihan. Raihan stroked her hair and kissed the side of her face, his tears covered up by the rain. Vivienne choked and gasped on her sobs as she held onto her brother. 

“Oh my Arceus, Raihan…. I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I don’t know-I didn't know what I was doing- I thought it was mother… Why-why do people keep leaving me…? Why did Leon… why did he...” 

Everything finally hit her at once, everything spinning and go black around her. Vivienne’s eyes fluttered closed as she passed out, her head leaning against Raihan’s shoulder. Raihan sat there, holding her even tighter. His jaw was clenched tightly, trying to take a deep breath. He pressed his lips to her forehead.

“Sh, sh…No no no… you don’t have to be sorry...I thought I was going to lose you…” He choked, hugging her tighter. “I can’t lose you too… and I’m never going to let people hurt you again…never…” 

Raihan cradled her in his arms and stood up, holding her close. He carefully carried her back into the study and out the door, returning Duraludon to its pokeball. Heading down the stairs, he was careful to make sure the Haunter didn’t come out as he hurried out the front door, shutting the door behind him. A flying taxi landed in front of the gate, Kabu hopping out, meeting them at the door. His eyes were wide as he ran for the door and opened it. 

“What happened?” he instantly inquired as Raihan hurried inside, Kabu following right behind, closing the door behind him.

“Haunters. She almost jum-” Raihan struggled getting his words out. “She almost jumped off the balcony...

“Arceus…” Kabu mumbled. 

“Uncle Kabu…?” Vivienne mumbled half in and out of consciousness in Raihan’s arms.

Kabu smiled sadly at her, brushing her soaked hair out of her face. 

“Hi, sweetheart… it’s me.” he greeted her softly, keeping his voice hushed. 

She smiled feebly, her eyes fluttering shut once more.

It took an hour or so, but the guys finally managed to convince Vivienne to take a shower and change into different clothes. She wouldn’t talk about what happened. She just stared blankly at the wall, her gaze far off somewhere Raihan nor Kabu knew where. Raihan gripped her door knob in his hand as he glanced over his shoulder. Her back was to him, her shoulders shuddering ever so slightly. He sighed softly as he closed the door quietly behind him. He wasn’t going to push her to talk right now. Not when she was clearly upset and shaken up over the Haunters. Raihan flinched as his fists clenched angrily. His knuckles were bruised and bloodied from beating Everett to a pulp. He could feel some of the gashes open up again. That wasn’t important to him right now. He had to do something about those Haunters. Kabu was standing by the door as Raihan walked right past him, heading towards the side door. 

“Raihan, where are you going?” Kabu followed after him with his usual grimace. 

“I need to do something about those Haunters. I’ve let them stay in that house but going after my sister was the final straw.” 

“Raihan.” Raihan froze by the door at the stern tone. Kabu could tell Raihan was shaking. “You can take care of them another time. Right now, you need to take care of yourself.”

Kabu noticed the bloodied knuckles. Raihan glanced down at his hands and brought them to his chest, rubbing his wrist. He didn’t say anything. The older gym leader sighed heavily, shaking his head, walking over to the table where the first aid kit was still. He sat down without a word. 

“You can recklessly go after the Haunters if you want to, or you can let me tend to your wounds. It’s your choice, but I’d rather you make the smart choice. It’s your call.” 

He watched Raihan silently as he waited for him to make a choice. In a matter of moments, Raihan slowly made his way towards the table, sitting down in the chair beside Kabu. He hesitantly put one hand on the table, keeping his head lowered. Kabu smiled lightly as he began tending to his hand. A few minutes of silence followed before Kabu spoke again. 

“Are you going to tell me how this happened and who you pummeled?” Kabu never looked up from his work. 

Raihan flinched, mumbling under his breath from the sting of pain. 

“I beat the shit out of Everett because he was talking shit and lying about Vivienne. Then I guess asshat believed Captain Dickbag and said shit to Vivienne, and I guess broke up with her. Now here we are.” 

“I’m guessing asshat is Leon.” 

Raihan nodded, staring out the window at the raging storm. He didn’t understand how Leon went from making a big deal that he cared about his sister to doing the one thing he said he’d never do to Vivienne. It made so sense. It was as though a switch went off in Leon’s head. 

“I don’t get it, Kabu… how can you go from caring for someone, to hurting them in a matter of minutes? It just- ugh, it pisses me off.” 

“I’m not so sure, Rai, “ He finished wrapping his hand up as he spoke. “But only time will give us the answers as to why things happen the way they do. Just give it time for those two to figure things out.” Kabu purposefully tightened the wrap, causing Raihan to hiss. Kabu gave him a stern look before he spoke. “And I don’t want you getting into anymore fights, you understand? And I mean with anyone: Leon, Everett: no one. You understand?” 

“Yeeeesh, Kabu! Yes, yes, I understand. I won’t get into any more fights…” Raihan grumbled, pulling his hand back. “Aiyaaa, why you have to be so rough on me, old man?” 

“Because you’re just as stubborn and temperamental as your mother and impossible and cocky like your father.” 

Kabu couldn’t hide the small grin as he put things back into the kit, cleaning up. Raihan found himself sadly smiling at the comparisons. Usually he only got compared to his dad, but it always made him happy when he reminded someone of his mom. 

“Yeah… I guess you’re right.” Raihan rubbed the back of his head, laughing softly. 

“You guess? I remember one time your mother went out drinking with the Leaders the one night, I think Melony was babysitting you both, and this guy started trash talking your father. I’m guessing he lost to your father a few times and held a grudge. Anyway, this guy started getting in your father’s face and pushing him, and all of a sudden, here’s Aster, towering over this guy, clocking him in the jaw, and literally carrying him to the door and throwing him outside. You’re more like your mom than you think, kiddo.” 

Raihan’s smile slowly faded away, then. Kabu noticed he didn’t say anything as he finished washing his hands. He turned around as he dried his hands on a towel, seeing Raihan staring down at his hands. Not many people got to see the vulnerable side of the Dragon-Type Leader, not even a majority of the leaders half the time. 

“I wish she was here right now… she always knew what to do and say when Vivienne was upset… I just feel hopeless right now, Kabu…”

Kabu sighed, draping the towel over the sink. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the counter, his eyes on the floor tiles. He knew Raihan was a people pleaser; he had always been that way since he was a child. Raihan wanted to make everyone happy and constantly worried about failing everyone. It was a constant battle between himself that Kabu and Melony had tried to help him overcome over the years, but there was only so much they could do when Raihan wouldn’t even talk about all of it with his own father. It was as though Raihan was embarrassed to admit he was struggling with things. 

“Raihan, you’re doing the best you can, and that’s all you can do right now. You just… really have to be there for Vivienne right now, alright? You both have to be there for each other. Just let her get some rest tonight, then we’ll see if she wants to talk in the morning…you’ll also need to call your dad. But we’ll worry about that in the morning, like I said. You need to get some rest.” 

Raihan nodded slowly, standing up and walking towards the hall. He stopped, hesitating for a moment before he looked back at Kabu. 

“Kabu, do you- do you think you could… stay over tonight…?” 

The fire-type leader smiled softly, nodding his head. 

“Yeah, bud. I’ll stay the night.” 

Raihan attempted a feeble smile. 

“Thanks, Kabu. Good night.” 

“Night, kiddo.” 

Charizard landed in Wyndon later that night. Leon quickly hopped off, the pressure slowly beginning to fade away. Everett’s words were still repeating themselves in his head, causing him to growl, gripping at his hair. All he saw was how hurt Vivienne was at all the things he had said to her, all the things he didn’t want to say to her. Why did he say all those things? Why did he care that he said those things? Why didn’t he believe her? Why did he listen to what Everett said? Why didn’t he just let her explain things? But what if she lied when she explained things? All these questions were pounding in his head, his eyes clenching shut as his eyes burned from them watering. It was like a battle in his head over what he knew was true and whatever was causing him to have all these awful thoughts about Vivienne. How could he hurt Vivienne after he just made it clear to Raihan not even minutes before everything that he would never do anything to hurt her? The pressure and Everett’s echoing voice finally disappeared.

He didn’t know how, but he had a feeling Everett did something to him to say all those things to Vivienne, but he didn’t know how he managed it. All Leon knew was that he completely broke the one person he loved dearly in this world. He found himself sitting on his front step, staring into nothing. Charizard watched him worriedly and laid down on the sidewalk beside him, resting his chin on Leon’s lap. Leon leaned down and hugged Charizard, burying his face into the pokemon’s neck. 

“Buddy…what have I done...? I hurt Vivienne… and I didn’t want to… why do I always mess everything up…?” Leon just held onto Charizard as tears rolled down his face. 

Charizard nuzzled up to his trainer, sighing sadly. He hated seeing his trainer upset. They stayed like that for almost an hour before Leon finally calmed down enough to return Charizard to his Ultra Ball and go inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys. I'm soooo sorry for not posting in a while. It's been a really rough couple of weeks. We had to put my dog down, and my school job is starting up again, and with the pandemic, I've been nothing but anxious and exhausted about both my jobs right now. I'm not giving up on this story, and I just wanted to let you guys know what was going on. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! (Well.... enjoyed to a sense... It's a sad chapter.)


	27. Stuck In Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "How can I get over you  
> Why do we have to be apart  
> We go where nobody has ever been  
> And we come again  
> From the place we have never known  
> There are too many shadows  
> Of your love everywhere around me  
> Stuck, stuck, stuck in love."  
> -"Stuck In Love" by Kim Kyung Hee

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Zinnia stared out the window of the shuttle as it drove from the airport to the train station. She saw a massive stadium like building in the distance. It was bigger than any stadium they had in Hoenn, and those were mainly only used for sporting events of the occasional pokemon tournament. 

“Uncle Draken, what’s that building over there?” 

Draken looked where she was pointing and smiled before it slowly faded away. 

“That’s Wyndon Stadium. That’s where the semi-finals and the finals happen every year during the Challenge Season. All the challengers who make it to the semi finals go against the Leaders and other challengers to see who will go against the Champion. We do things a little differently in our League.” 

“Wow… it’s massive… you actually battled in that place?” 

“Yeah, I did for many years.” Draken sadly answered. 

He stared at the stadium sadly. He could almost hear the cheers of the crowd as he walked onto the field; the feel of the energy in the stadium as the battle began. Being a Gym Leader was one of the best things to ever happen to him, and he missed it every time he saw a battle. 

“When was the last time you battled there?” 

“Five years ago.” 

Zinnia frowned, realizing what happened five years ago. 

“Oh…”

_ Draken, Aster, and Vivienne were waiting out in the lobby of Wyndon Stadium for Raihan to come out of the locker room. It had been a shorter challenge season than normal with the lack of challengers that signed up this year, and Raihan once again made it to the finals. He lost to Leon again, but he was gradually getting better at taking out Leon’s pokemon. They conversed with the other Leaders while they waited. Draken kept glancing over at Aster, worried. She was good at putting on a facade, but he could tell she didn’t look well. Even with her bright smile on her face, she looked pale with small beads of sweat dotting her forehead. He gripped onto her waist tighter, leaning down, kissing the top of her head gently. Aster glanced up at him and smiled lovingly at him the way she always had, the tired look in her eyes unable to change that. Draken returned the smile, hearing the sound of running feet.  _

_ “Mum! Dad!” Aster turned away from her husband and smiled brightly at the sight of her son. He instantly had his arms around his mother. “Did you see that? I almost had him! I’m getting better, aren’t I?”  _

_ “Oh you were brilliant, my darling.” She kissed the top of his head, stroking his hair out of his face.  _

_ “One of these days, mum, I’m going to beat him and become the Champion, and I’ll win it for you, alright? ”  _

_ “You talk more and more like your father everyday.” She chuckled, Raihan not noticing the tears welling up in her eyes.  _

_ “You’re getting better out there, bud.” Draken smiled brightly, ruffling his hair.  _

_ Raihan grumbled, unable to hide his smile as he fixed his hair.  _

_ “Aiyaaaa! Not the hair, dad, not the hair.” He laughed, smiling brightly. “Thanks, dad.”  _

_ Raihan ran over to Vivienne and tackled her in a hug, ruffling her hair.  _

_ “Hey, shortie!”  _

_ “Raihan!!! Don’t mess up my hair!” Vivienne fussed, fixing her hair.  _

_ Aster laughed, but it was cut off as her hands went straight to her head, crying out in pain. Her eyes fluttered shut as she collapsed. Draken caught her before she hit the floor, crouching down. The other leaders and people in the lobby turned towards the commotion, seeing Draken and Aster on the ground. Draken tried tapping her on the face to wake her up, but it wasn’t working this time.  _

_ “Mum!” Raihan and Vivienne shouted, instantly by their father’s side. _

_ “Draken, what happened?” Kabu pushed through the crowd.  _

_ “I need to get her to the hospital… Melony, watch Raihan and Vivienne!”  _

_ Draken cradled his wife in his arms, standing to his feet. Lucario released himself from his pokeball, snarling at the people blocking their path. People instantly moved out of the way as Lucario ran, Draken following right behind. None of the leaders or people in that lobby knew that would be the last time they ever saw Aster alive.  _

_ Aster had woken up in hospital before she was to go into surgery. She demanded to see her children and husband before she went in. They stood beside her hospital bed the nurses had pulled out into the hall. Aster smiled lovingly at Raihan and Vivienne, resting her hand on Vivienne’s cheek. Tears were welling up in the young fourteen year old’s eyes as she stared down at her mother.  _

_ “Mummy, are you going to be okay?” Vivienne rested her hand over her mother’s.  _

_ “I don’t know, sweetheart, but I really hope so so I can see that smiling face of yours.” Aster smiled, booping her on the nose, getting a smile out of her.  _

_ “I love you, my little warrior…”  _

_ “I love you too, mummy. _

_ Vivienne leaned down and gave her a big hug. Aster held her tighter than she ever had before, stroking her hair and kissing all over her face. When she pulled away, she saw Raihan was quiet, staring down at his feet. Aster lifted his chin, his sad blue eyes meeting hers.  _

_ “My fierce little dragon… why are you so sad…?”  _

_ “I-I’m just scared… I want you to be better…” Raihan stammered, wringing his hands.  _

_ Aster smiled sadly at him, brushing his hair out of his face.  _

_ “It’s okay to be scared… that’s why I’m here, right? To get better?” When he nodded and smiled finally at her, she pulled him into a tight hug just like she had done with his sister. “I am so proud of you, Raihan… I love you so much, sweetheart…”  _

_ Raihan hugged his mom’s neck tighter, burying his face into her neck to hide the tears welling up in his eyes.  _

_ “I love you too, mum…”  _

_ He pulled back, and she turned to the last person she wanted to see before she went in. Draken stared at her, worry and concern all over his face. He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. Her fingers brushed along his cheeks, smiling up at him.  _

_ “It will be alright, love… I promise…”  _

_ He shook his head, kissing the palm of her hand softly.  _

_ “You just come back to us, okay…?” Draken whispered. _

_ She feebly nodded.  _

_ “I love you, Draken.”  _

_ “I love you, too, Aster…”  _

_ Draken cupped her face gently and leaned down, pressing his lips to hers for one last kiss. It was soft and deep. When he finally pulled away, she chuckled softly, gazing into his eyes as if she were falling in love with him all over again.  _

_ “My my… You certainly still know how to take my breath away, darling.”  _

_ He caught himself smiling brighter, stroking her cheek.  _

_ “I keep telling you… it’s a natural born talent, baby…” He pressed his lips to her forehead before standing up, watching them wheel her down the hallway. She waved at her family, smiling at them as they waved back at her. _

_ Draken was sitting in the waiting room, bouncing his leg with his hands clasped together, staring at the clock. It had been hours since Aster had gone into surgery. He glanced over at the others: Melony was sitting in between Raihan and Vivienne. Vivienne had fallen asleep against Melony as Raihan stared at the wall blankly, wringing his hands. Kabu was sitting in the seat beside Draken with a solemn look. Draken’s head perked up when he heard footsteps. He bolted from his seat, seeing the doctor walking towards them. He approached him, noticing the look in his eyes.  _

_ ‘Arceus… please no…’ He thought to himself as he stopped in front of the doctor. Kabu, Melony, and Raihan watched the two carefully.  _

_ “Is she alright? Tell me my wife is alright.”  _

_ “Leader Draken, I’m sorry to pass this news onto you, but she didn’t make it.”  _

_ Draken stood there for a moment, trying to process what the doctor just said. He scoffed, feeling his heart breaking as it began to hit him.  _

_ “She-she didn’t make it…?” His voice was soft, unusually calm.  _

_ “I’m sorr-” _

_ The doctor gasped as Draken grabbed him by his scrubs, slamming him against the wall. Tears were welling up in his eyes, his fangs bared as he glared down at the man.  _

_ “What do you mean she’s GONE?” Draken snarled. “You were SUPPOSED to HELP HER..”  _

_ “L-Leader Draken, please let go… there were complications and we tried resuscitating her multiple times… we tried everything to bring her back, I can assure you that.”  _

_ “Draken, let him go.” Kabu pulled at his friend’s arm.  _

_ Draken gritted his teeth as he let his grip loosen. He broke into sobs, collapsing to his knees. The doctor and Kabu caught him, helping him down. Draken grabbed his hair in hands, as tears rolled down his face.  _

_ “Aster… Aster come back… Arceus, WHY? You fucking son of a bitch, don’t do this… Don’t take her… you can’t take her! Arceus, please…Take me instead… take me, dammit!”  _

_ “Leader Draken, please don’t say things like that… Your children-” _

_ “I don’t care about me! I care about her. I want her to be alive and okay! My children need their mother! She shouldn’t be dead right now… She shouldn’t be dead… She-she loved and cared more than anyone… and now she’s gone… she shouldn’t be gone! She’s gone… Aster… baby, don’t leave me… please don’t leave me…” _

When he snapped out of his thoughts, the stadium was out of sight, blocked by buildings. He had fallen completely silent. Zinnia could see a single tear fall down his cheek from under his sunglasses, but she didn’t say anything. She went back to staring out the window, letting him be for the time being until the shuttle had dropped them off in front of the train station. Zinnia was taken aback by the size and how busy Wyndon was when they hopped off the shuttle. There wasn’t a city like this in Hoenn. She didn’t even pay any attention to the people giving her strange looks. Draken watched her slowly turn in a circle, trying to take everything in. It managed to make Draken smile. She reminded him of Aster for a moment.

_ Aster spun around slowly in awe, it being her first time ever in Galar. She had never been anywhere outside of Hoenn before, and everything was different and bigger from what she was used to. People passing by eyed her curiously, never seeing tribal garb like that before, but she never took notice of them or the loving way Draken watched her. She had the biggest smile on her face that could outshine the sun. Aster focused her attention on Draken, seeing he was staring again. Her smile was contagious, melting his heart every time she looked at him. She practically glided over to him, hugging his arm as they began walking down the sidewalk towards Wyndon Station. The towering couple caught the attention of many passerbyers as the two minded their own business. She nuzzled up to him, glancing up at him with her soft brown eyes. It was hard not to get lost in her eyes.  _

_ “Darling, you were staring again.” Aster giggled as she leaned up and kissed his cheek.  _

_ His cheeks were warm, feeling the Butterfrees in his stomach act up again. She always had this effect on him since the moment they met. Draken smiled lovingly down at her, brushing his fingers lightly along her cheek.  _

_ “Well, can you blame me for staring?” He pecked her lips softly, playing with a strand of her hair. “My wife is absolutely stunning.”  _

_ “Mm.” She grinned, pecking his lips quick again before he could pull away. “I almost feel bad for anyone our son ends up charming if he winds up with your charisma.”  _

_ “Oi, that’s not a bad thing.” He laughed, then stopped. “Wait, we don’t know if it’s a boy yet…”  _

_ “Oh, I just have a feeling it’s a boy.” She stopped and looked up at him, seeing the biggest, fanged smile on his face. She squealed when she was suddenly lifted in the air and spun around once, two big arms hugging her close. She threw her arms around his neck, laughing as he set her down, pulling her into a long, soft kiss. When he finally pulled away, she had to take a moment to catch her breath. “Well… you certainly know how to take my breath away, now don’t you, love?”  _

_ “What can I say? It’s a natural born talent, baby.” He winked playfully as they continued their way to the station.  _

The anxious feeling was building up in his chest. What he feared most had already started: all he could think about was her. He would have done anything to have her there, standing beside him one last time. Zinnia looked up at her uncle and noticed his grimace and how he fidgeted with the strap of his bag. He was looking around, lost in his thoughts, his cerulean eyes sad.

“Uncle Draken? Uncle Draken.” 

“Huh?” He turned his attention to Zinnia, pushing his sunglasses back on his nose. His phone chirped and flew out of his pocket, alerting him that Raihan was calling. He grabbed the phone and answered it quickly, putting it up to his ear. It had been a long twelve hours for Draken, not hearing anything from either of his children. “Raihan?” 

“Hey, dad… sorry I missed your call last night…”

There was something wrong. Raihan was usually at the gym right now and he almost sounded exhausted and… almost upset. 

“Hey, bud, don’t apologize. It’s alright. What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Raihan didn’t answer. That made him more nervous. “Are you okay? Is Vivienne okay? Rai, ya gotta talk to me buddy.” 

“Vivienne went to the house last night…” Raihan answered after a few moments of silence. “She was upset and the Haunter-”

Draken’s blood ran cold, eyes widening. 

_ The dream… the dream couldn’t be real…  _

“Dad-” He could hear Raihan choke on his words slightly.  _ Arceus, please don’t do this to me…  _ “I got to her before she went over the balcony, but dad… she won’t talk to me or come out of her room… I don’t know what to do… she won’t even come out for Kabu. I just- I don’t know what to do, dad. I really need you here, right now.” 

Draken sighed in relief, leaning against the wall. Zinnia watched him, concerned and relieved he had relaxed now. He pulled off his shades, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. She could see the dark circles on his eyes. 

“I know you do, bud… I’ll- I’ll try and be there soon, okay?” 

He heard a scoff over the phone. He could see his son’s eye roll right then.

“Yeah, sure, you’ve said that the last five years, and I’ve yet to see it happen.” 

“Raihan, I mean-” 

“Just save it, dad. Sorry I even bothered saying anything.” 

The call went dead, leaving Draken speechless. The tightening in his chest returned. The resentment Raihan had for him was expected, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt any less. 

“Did something happen?” 

Draken pushed his glasses back on his face, pushing himself off the wall. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he started walking with more of a purpose into the train station. Zinnia almost had to sprint to catch up with his long strides. His jaw was clenched, his lips pulled back in a deep frown. If the gusts weren’t so bad that day, he would have just taken the Flying Taxi, but he didn’t want to risk anything, especially with Zinnia with him.

“We need to get to Hammerlocke, now.” 

The train ride felt like an eternity for Draken as he stared out the window. He bounced his leg the entire time, becoming impatient. He just wanted to be with his kids. Zinnia tried to take his mind off things and asked him questions about Galar. He answered them then would go silent once more. It was worrisome and out of the ordinary for him to be this quiet. 

A few hours later, the train arrived at Hammerlocke Station. When Draken stepped onto the platform, an overwhelming wave of emotions came over him. It had been five years since he last set foot in Hamerlocke, and even after all those years, he could still feel her presence. It brought back the happy memories, but it also reminded him of the sad ones, of the days and months after she had passed. He was so overwhelmed, he froze completely in his tracks. Zinnia had walked ahead of him a few paces and stopped when she realized he wasn’t behind her. She turned and her expression softened when she saw him standing there. This was going to be the hardest part for him. She knew that from the beginning. Slowly walking up to him, she held out her hand. 

“It’s okay… You don’t have to do this alone, Uncle Draken. I’m right here, okay?” 

Draken nodded slowly, staring down at her hand. He slowly reached out and took it, letting her pull him along for a bit. The lobby was surprisingly busy that day as they walked towards the exit. The chattering and murmuring slowly began to cease as people took notice of Draken. He normally didn’t mind the attention, but he wanted to go unnoticed and get to his children as fast as he could. He clenched his teeth together, shoving his hands back into his pockets, keeping his focus towards the exit as people began to murmur about him, asking one another if it was actually him. Others instantly knew who he was, whispering to their partners or friends, but respectfully stayed back. Draken let out the breath he was holding in as they stepped outside, a gust of wind snapping him out of his thoughts. 

Zinnia couldn’t believe her eyes as she looked up at the towering castle and the intimidating fortress walls bordering the city. She had only read stories and seen photos of Hammerlocke City, and they definitely didn’t do the city justice. It felt like she had walked into a Galarian Tale. Draken, on the other hand, wanted to turn the other way and run. As much as it was nice to be home again, the heavy feeling in his chest wouldn’t go away. They made their way across the city towards the Vault. Draken gazed down at Zinnia and watched her take in everything. He took a deep breath and forced a smile, pointing at the castle entrance. 

“Hammerlocke’s gym stadium is in there.” Draken tried to distract himself. 

“The gym is in the castle?” Zinnia’s mouth dropped as she stared up at the castle. 

“It is. Maybe when things calm down, me or your cousins can give you a personalized tour. You’d love the castle archives and the Vault as well.”

Draken saw her face brighten up at the sound of that, causing him to chuckle. 

“I would love that a lot…” Her voice was soft. She couldn’t remember the last time she did something with her cousins and uncle. 

They eventually made it to the house, Draken stopping at the gate. He stared at the old manor home for what felt like minutes before his eyes landed on the guest house. There was movement inside. He was suddenly more nervous seeing his kids now, especially Raihan in person. He hesitated before opening the gate, walking into the yard, Zinnia following behind him. 

Raihan and Vivienne’s Pokemon were playing or chilling in the wide yard when Fluffy and Flygon’s heads bolted up. Fluffy sniffed the air before hopping to its feet, wagging its tail excitedly, running towards the gate. Flygon cried out excitedly flying after the Arcanine. Zinnia and Draken both stopped as the ground almost seemed to rumble. Draken didn’t have time to react when he glanced up.

Raihan was trying to keep himself busy by straightening up the house while Kabu occasionally checked on Vivienne. They both noticed Arcanine and Flygon run excitedly past the kitchen window towards the main gate. They thought nothing of it until they heard Fluffy barking and a yelp from someone. They both raced out the front door and froze when they saw Draken laying on the ground with Fluffy licking his face mercilessly as Flygon cried out happily, flying in circles above them. Draken was laughing, stroking the fire pokemon’s fur, trying to push the giant puppy off him. Zinnia had her hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh. Kabu and Raihan both stared in shock, not believing Draken was actually there, Raihan especially. He wanted to be angry at his father after the past few years of resenting him, but it was impossible to be angry at him when his pokemon and Vivienne’s were so excited and happy to see him. 

“Oi, oi, Fluffy! Fluffy, let me up, you big softie.” Draken laughed as he was able to finally sit up. He grabbed the pup’s face and kissed the side of its head. He felt something scaly nuzzling his face and shoulder, turning to see Flygon rubbing up against him. Draken smiled brightly, stroking the dragon pokemon’s neck then scratching under its neck. “Hey, buddy! My, Raihan’s really got you looking great. Look how handsome you are.” Flygon chirped happily, flying into the air, showing off. No matter what Draken was going through, pokemon always made him feel better. 

He stood up, brushing himself off. His eyes met Raihan’s. Raihan didn’t move, and he didn’t speak. His eyes shifted between Kabu and his father, remembering the fight he had overheard. 

_ It was the night before Vivienne and her dad would be leaving for the Hoenn Region.Raihan had walked out of Vivienne’s room after comforting her and helping her finish packing. He heard loud voices being heard from their father’s study. He slowly crept towards the door, seeing it was half opened. Raihan peered inside, seeing his father and Uncle Kabu. His father had his back to Kabu as he continued packing. Raihan could tell that the usually calm Leader was agitated and angry by the edge in his tone and his tense frame. _

_ “He is fifteen years old, Draken! Are you even listening?”  _

_ “I took over my father’s position at sixteen. Raihan will be fine.” His father’s voice almost sounded like he was trying to persuade himself that last sentence.  _

_ “The boy needs his family with him! Your city needs you, Draken. Why can’t you see that? What the hell’s gotten into you, leaving your son by himself?”  _

_ “What the hell’s gotten into me?” Draken turned sharply and got in Kabu’s face, his eyes narrowed like a dragon’s. “This place is what’s wrong with me! Everything reminds me of her! Everywhere I go, I see her, I hear her, I think of her. If I stay here any longer, I will go insane, Kabu! Then my children won’t have a father. Do you want that for me Kabu? You want that for my children? Because I can’t do anything anymore. I can’t- I can’t…” He growled, grabbing at his hair, tears falling down his cheeks. “I’m so tired, Kabu… I’m not the Leader everyone needs anymore… I’m not the father my children can look up to anymore… My fire died with Aster, and I’ve tried, and I’ve tried, and I’ve TRIED to get it back, but I can’t… I can’t… that’s why, I need to leave… that’s why I’m leaving Hammerlocke in Raihan’s hands because he’s what this city deserves. Not a pathetic, broken man, almost driven insane by the death of his wife. So that’s what the hell’s gotten into me, Kabu.”  _

_ Raihan saw his father plop into his desk chair, burying his face into his hands. Kabu’s posture loosened up as he stepped up to his friend, resting a hand on his shoulder. They were both silent before Kabu finally sighed.  _

_ “I’ll make sure he’s okay, Draken….”  _

“Raihan… Raihan. Raihan!” 

Raihan was startled out of his thoughts, seeing his father was now standing in front of him, now wearing his regular glasses. Raihan had hit a huge growth spurt while his father was gone and now was taller than him by three inches. His father’s face was more serious now compared to when he was with the pokemon moments before. 

“Y-yes sir?” Raihan stammered, rubbing the back of his head. 

“Where’s your sister?” 

“In-in her room.” 

Draken walked past him, patting him on the back as he walked up the front steps. 

“Oh, I brought your Zinnia with me, too.” 

“Z-Zinnia too?” Raihan was at a loss for words as he saw his cousin walk up to him. “Z-Zinnia!” 

“Hey, lil cous- wow!” She was not prepared for the bone-crushing hug from her extremely tall, younger cousin, finding it hard to breathe. “Rai-can’t… breathe…”

Draken quietly opened the bedroom door, finding Vivienne curled up on the bed with her back towards the door. She was wearing sweats and what looked like a guy’s jacket. He walked further into the room, the floor creaking under his weight. 

“Rai, I just want to be alone right now…” Her voice was hushed and sounded tired. 

“I’m not Raihan, but I can leave you alone if that’s what you want right now.” 

Vivienne sat up quickly turning to face Draken. Her eyes and face were red from crying, but her eyes lit up when she saw her father standing there. Fresh tears fell down her face as she broke down crying. 

“Daddy…?” 

Draken was instantly sitting on the bed, engulfing her in his arms. Her arms wrapped around his waist, burying her face into his shoulder. He held his daughter close to him, kissing the top of her, swaying gently. It was taking everything in him not to be a mess as well. He shooshed her and mumbled it was going to be okay multiple times, keeping his voice calm and soft. 

“Hi, sweetheart… I’m here… it’s okay…” 

“Daddy, I should have never come home…” she sobbed, gripping onto him tighter. “I-I mess everything up…” 

“Hey, none of that… sh… How about you tell me what happened…?” 

Vivienne hesitated for a moment before she nodded. Draken let go of her and laid down on the bed, holding his arms out for her. Vivienne grabbed her small Lucario plushie before laying her head on her father’s shoulder, snuggling up to him. Draken wrapped his arm around her and listened to her explain everything that had happened. He stroked her hair as he listened for the next hour until she finally finished. Before he could say anything, he heard soft snoring beside him, looking down to see Vivienne had fallen asleep on his shoulder, hugging her plushie close to her. He smiled lovingly down at her, kissing her forehead. The jet lag and long travel was beginning to catch up on Draken as he felt his eyes grow heavy. He eventually drifted off to sleep, it being the first peaceful sleep he had had in awhile. 

Raihan and Zinnia poked their heads into the room, seeing the two completely passed out. Raihan found himself smiling lightly. It seemed she at least opened up to their dad about what happened and was sleeping now. Zinnia grabbed the door knob and quietly closed the door, letting them sleep. 

“They’ve both had a rough day… let’s let them sleep for now…” She whispered. 

“Then will someone kindly tell me what’s going on? Like I’m happy to see ya, Z, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t understand why you’re both here. Like how-how did you get him to come back?” 

“We will discuss that later… because boss man knows all the stuff. Right now, I’m kind of hungry and maybe need a nap.” 

Raihan chuckled, rolling his eyes playfully, heading towards the kitchen. 

“Come on, I’ll get you something to eat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *wrings hands nervously* I may have hurt my own feelings writing this chapter...
> 
> Also, keep an eye out for those song lyrics in the beginning notes. They may or may not come up again later. Ehehehehe
> 
> Also hey guys! I need your help with a scene! Could you comment your favorite dialogue or scene between Leon and Vivienne that is a happy one? I can't go into details, but your input will be added into this special scene if you leave a comment. Thank you! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!


	28. Boiling Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Lots of swearing and some possible triggering mental health topics similar to a few chapters ago.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Draken had woken up hours later, seeing Vivienne was still asleep. He carefully got out of bed and pulled the blanket over her before slowly creeping out of her room. It was beginning to get dark outside, and the house was quiet. Kabu and Zinnia weren’t anywhere in sight. The only one in the living room was Raihan. He was laying on the couch, reading a book on swords throughout history. He never looked up at his father as he spoke. 

“Kabu said he would call you tomorrow, something happened at the gym and he had to leave. Zinnia is sleeping.” Raihan’s voice was emotionless, flipping to the next page of his book. 

“Oh uh… thanks…” Draken folded his arms across his chest, staring down at the floor. It was silent for what seemed like minutes before he spoke again. “Rai, can we talk?” 

“Hmmmm... how about no?” There was a certain air of pettiness and smugness in Raihan’s tone that caused Draken to sigh heavily. This was going to prove more difficult than he had imagined. 

“Raihan-”

“I mean, what’s there to talk about? It’s obvious you’re here for Viv and not me, anyway. You think you can just waltz in here and expect me to welcome you with open arms after the shit you put me through?” He slammed his book shut, finally looking up at his father. His eyes were narrowed. “So I think this conversation is over.” 

Raihan sat up, throwing his legs off the couch, standing to his feet. He walked past his father, bumping purposefully into him as he walked by, heading towards his room. Draken stumbled slightly back, his expression solemn suddenly. 

“If you would have let me finish what I was saying on the phone earlier, I was already in Wyndon when you called about your sister. I see you’re just as stubborn as ever.” 

The footsteps stopped. Draken lifted his head and stared straight ahead. He wasn’t about to let the conversation end before it even began. This was a conversation that needed to happen before the Everett situation was addressed. 

“Oh so now you want to be my dad? Is that it? I think you gave that right up five years ago, or don’t you remember? You know, when you abandoned me right after mum died? Oh yeah, father of the year right there.” 

“You know, for someone who doesn’t want to talk, you’re doing a lot of talking.” Draken turned to his son, the sting of his son’s words beginning to slowly creep up on him. 

“Mainly to make you feel like shit.” Raihan growled, clenching his fists. 

“Well, it’s working. You satisfied?” 

“Not quite.” Raihan turned to his father, becoming more pissed by his father’s calm demeanor. “You know how fucking hard it was losing both my parents at the same time? It fucking sucked.” 

“You didn’t lose-” Draken flinched at the words, finally facing Raihan. 

“No, I lost both my parents and my sister on top of that. Oh boy, don’t get me fucking started on that.” 

“Don’t get your sister involved in this. This is between you and me.” Draken’s words came out more in a snarl, trying to keep his voice down, his eyes shifting towards Vivienne’s door.

“Oh no, this has got to do with her just as much as it has to do with me, dad.” Raihan’s voice kept getting louder as he spoke, worrying Draken that he would wake up Vivienne and Zinnia. 

“Lower your voice.” 

“You don’t get to tell me what to do!” Raihan had stepped forward, getting in his father’s face. Draken stood there, staring solemnly up at his son, holding his ground. He noticed Raihan was trembling, his shoulders tense. “Not only did you fuck up my life, you fucked up Vivienne’s, too.”

“Raihan, I don’t expect you to understand or forgive me, but I had to-” 

“Oh I fucking understand completely. I heard everything you said to Kabu the night before you left.” He jabbed a finger into his father’s chest, Draken stumbling back some from the force. “Mom would be rolling in her grave knowing you separated our family because you were selfish, thinking only of yourself.” 

Draken didn’t say a word. Raihan scoffed, staring down at his father knowing he was right. All the pent up anger and resentment over the past five years was finally beginning to rise to the surface. It was taking everything he had not to take a swing or two at his father, but his promise to Kabu echoed throughout his head. Raihan had never realized how much he suppressed and kept to himself over the years until that exact moment. 

“I wasn’t right in the head, Raihan. It’s no excuse, but it just seemed like the best option at the time.” 

“Yeah, not right in the head and because of that, you fucked Vivienne up. It’s your fault all of this happened to her! Way to go, dad. You’re certainly great at fucking your kids up!” 

“Outside! Now!” Draken finally had enough, raising his voice.

Raihan fell silently, fuming. No matter how old or how pissed Raihan was, his father was intimidating when provoked or angry. Both their eyes were narrowed at one another, wondering which one was going to speak first. 

“Why?” Raihan growled. 

“If you want to yell at me, you can. If you have shit to say to my face, you wanna hit me, go ahead, but we’re going outside whether you like it or not so we don’t wake up your sister or cousin. That’s why. Now do as I say, and step outside, now.” 

Raihan stood there, his face softening for a split second at the mention of the sleeping girls. He huffed and walked out the kitchen door, the door slamming against the wall. Draken simply rolled his eyes, following behind, shutting the door behind him. Everyone’s pokemon were roaming around outside and stopped what they were doing the moment the door was flung open and two very angry trainers stepped outside. Both their energies made the pokemon cautiously stay back, some scurrying away. The only one that didn’t back away was Draken’s long time pokemon partner, Lucario. Lucario stood nearby, watching Draken and Raihan carefully. He could sense his trainer was distressed and angry, trying hard to control his emotions. It could also sense Raihan’s anger which made the pokemon nervous and on the alert. 

Raihan stood there quietly, fidgeting with his bandaged hand. Waiting, Draken folded his arms across his chest, watching his son carefully. 

“Now you may continue.” 

The slight smugness in Draken’s tone caused a growl to escape Raihan as he turned sharply towards his father. 

“Don’t get smug with me! I have every right to be pissed off at you. You left me, but you also took my sister away from me. If you hadn’t taken her away from here, she wouldn’t have met that piece of shit of an ex she had. Hell, she wouldn’t have had to deal with all the negative shit life threw at her while she was over there! Vivienne may have been quiet as a kid, but she was confident and strong and not afraid to be herself. But when you took her away and she came back, she was broken and all of her confidence that  _ you  _ and mum taught us was  _ gone.  _ She needed her friends and her brother to  _ support  _ her, but oh no, you took her twelve hours away to another continent where she had  _ no one!  _ Do you know how many times I had to comfort  _ my  _ sister over the phone because she would be up all night crying, wishing she could be home? Do you  _ know  _ how much it fucking hurt not being able to hug your little sister and tell her it’s going to be alright? Do you know how many nights I needed my sister, needed my fucking dad to support  _ me _ ? Like you have no fucking clue how hard it is to live in  _ your _ fucking shadow. I’m sure Vivienne fucking gets it too. You honestly have no fucking clue how much you affect everyone around you, and I’m tired of my sister getting hurt and I’m tired of getting hurt because of the consequences of your fucking actions.” 

“What do you want me to do Raihan? Apologize? Grovel? Sorry aint going to cut it, and I realize that. You have no idea how much I wish I could just say sorry and this would all go away, but that’s not how life works. I hurt you, yes. I did a lot of things while I was grieving that I regret, but the one thing I regret most is leaving you behind. Your mother and I were only eighteen when we had you. My father died when I was sixteen. I never really had someone to ask me how to do the whole dad thing.You honestly think I don’t know I’m not good with the whole dad thing? I fucking suck at it.”

“No fucking shit, Sherlock.” Raihan felt something wet falling down his face, realizing he had started crying. He quickly wiped the tears away, only for new ones replacing them. Now he was angry at himself for crying at a time like this. “I-I thought if I trained harder and became the best gym leader in Galar that you would- I did everything, thinking if I could make you proud of me, you’d come back… but a year went by, and you never came back. Another year, another year, and ANOTHER year, and you still. Didn’t. Come. BACK. Why didn’t you just stay? Give me one good reason why you didn’t stay.” 

They fell silent as they intently stared at one another. Draken began tapping anxiously at his thigh, releasing a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. 

“Fine… I’ll tell you this now that you’re older... If I didn’t leave when I did, Rai, your mum wouldn’t have been the only one dead.” 

Raihan’s eyes widened as his expression softened. It didn’t take him long to process what his father had just said. His father’s entire demeanor changed suddenly. He was no longer on the defense. He almost seemed defeated standing there, his shoulders slumped forward. Draken pulled his glasses off, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. There was silence as Raihan tried to find the words to say at that moment. 

“What-why would you say something like that…?” Raihan fumbled on his words. 

“Because it was true at the time, Raihan…” He sighed heavily, kicking a stone to the side. “I kept seeing your mother everywhere… I kept hearing her voice anywhere I went. It was especially bad a night when you guys were in bed. Everything just felt heavy and cold, like nothing mattered anymore… then the dreams started happening...and-and-”

Raihan could see his father shaking, tears welling up in his eyes. He reached a hand out to him, but Draken simply stepped back. 

“Dad…? And what?” 

“She would always be in my dreams or randomly show up beside me… and would blame me for her dying… then you and Kaida would appear in the dreams, doing the same exact thing and it happened for weeks upon weeks. It was to the point I couldn’t sleep at night, and then the one day-” Draken took a deep breath. “You both weren’t there, but I had Kabu and Melony swore not to tell anyone… I- hm…”

_ There was knocking at the front door. No one answered. There was a pause before another knock echoed through the house. Draken sat at his desk in his study, trying to keep his mind occupied by studying more on the Shadowbinder. All he could do, however, was stare at a photograph of Aster and himself with the kids. He couldn’t take his eyes off her frozen, smiling face. It had been a month since she had been gone, and nothing was getting easier. Draken slowly reached his hand out, brushing his fingers over her face. That was when the room became ice cold.  _

_ Draken released a sigh, seeing his breath in front of him. All the color drained from his face. This always happened when she appeared. He slowly turned in his chair to find his wife standing by the balcony door. Her head tilted, grinning at him. Draken clenched his sleep deprived eyes shut, rubbing them to try and rid himself of the illusion. She had haunted him the entire month since her death, and he didn’t think he could take much more of it. He opened his eyes and saw she was still there, only now standing before him, her hair blowing gently in the air.  _

_ “Aster, please… Don’t say those things anymore… I tried so hard to get you the help you needed… I-” He begged, lowering his head.  _

_ “Sh…” She rested a finger under his chin, lifting his head to look her in the eyes. Her touch was ice cold. Draken suddenly felt his head become fuzzy, entranced as he gazed into Aster’s eyes. “Draken...don’t you miss me…?”  _

_ “Oh Arceus, baby… I miss you much…”  _

_ “Then why won’t you come with me, my darling…?” Aster slowly began stepping backwards back towards the balcony, keeping her eyes on him.  _

_ She slowly took his hand in hers, pulling him to his feet. Draken couldn’t take his eyes off her, slowly following her. Everything seemed to disappear around him. He didn’t even notice the door to his study slamming shut, locking itself. The running of footsteps upstairs didn’t snap him out of his trance.  _

_ “But I can’t, baby… you’re- you’re-” Draken couldn’t even bring himself to say the words.  _

_ “You can come with me, baby… We can be together again…” They had stopped walking once they were on the balcony. Aster closed the distance between them, caressing his face tenderly. “Would you like that, Draken…?” _

_ Draken had tears streaming down his face as he closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers. He nodded slowly, stifling a sob as he laid his hand over hers.  _

_ “You know I would do anything to be with you again, baby… but-”  _

_ The doorknob to the study rattled once then rattled more intensely before there was a knocking.  _

_ “Draken, why is the door locked?” Melony’s voice could be heard from behind the door. “Love, it’s Melony and Kabu, please open up.”  _

_ Draken turned towards the voice only for Aster to quickly turn his head back towards her. Her face was close to his as she pulled him closer towards the railing. Draken felt the world around him disappear once more, staring helplessly into her eyes.  _

_ “We can be together again, baby… It’s really simple… It will be quick, I promise… Then you won’t feel anymore pain…”  _

_ “No more pain…?” Draken mumbled, his wife disappearing from in front of him; his hands clasping onto the railing. Aster stood beside him, looking over the railing, a small, almost distorted smirk creeping onto her face.  _

_ “That’s right, my darling… no more pain… then we can be together always…”  _

_ Draken’s eyes began to flutter shut as his vision began to go black. He felt his body falling forward, another force pushing him over the railing. But suddenly he stopped falling, feeling two tight grips on both his arms. He felt himself being pulled back over the rail onto the balcony, the grips slackening once he was safe. He started coming too, seeing Melony and Kabu sitting on the ground, breathing heavily as they stared at him with horror in his eyes. The realization slowly hit, and he frantically looked around for Aster, but she wasn’t there any longer.  _

_ “Aster? Aster! Where-she was just here… she was just here… what-where…” _

_ “Draken... Draken!” Kabu shook him by the shoulders, getting him to focus on him. “What were you thinking? You could have died!”  _

_ “What-what do you mean?” Draken’s eyes widened as he looked at the railing then back at his friends, finally putting together why they looked scared. “Oh Arceus… Oh my Arceus… I didn’t know- what was I thinking…? I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” He finally broke, covering his face as he broke into sobs.  _

_ Kabu instantly through his arms around his friend’s shoulders, holding him tightly. Melony was instantly beside Draken, wrapping her arms around them. Draken buried his face into Kabu’s shoulder, shaking his head.  _

_ “I can’t stay in this house one more day… I can’t do this anymore… I need to leave… I can’t- I can’t…”  _

“Dad- I…” Raihan stopped himself, unable to break his gaze off his father. It was almost exactly what Vivienne went through the night before. 

“I left because my children didn’t need to lose another parent… and as soon as I was away from Galar, all the nightmares and appearances disappeared… but that didn’t make leaving you any easier. I’ve been going to therapy and getting help since then, and let me tell you, it was fucking scary coming back here after all these years. But I came back because I had a feeling something was going to happen and that my kids were going to be in danger. You and Viv are my world, Raihan. I may be a shit dad, but bud… you’re the one who made me a dad, and that was the best day of my life. So I’m sorry-” 

Draken stopped speaking when Raihan threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly. His arms instantly wrapped around his son, holding him close. Raihan’s shoulders shook as he buried his face into Draken’s shoulder. 

“I’m sorry, dad… I just- I just really missed you…” Raihan tried to calm himself down, but he couldn’t seem to stop crying. Draken just held onto him tighter, kissing the top of his head. 

“Sh sh… you don’t have to apologize, kiddo… I missed you too… I missed you so much… you have to let it all out at some point… it’s alright…” 

They stayed like that for a while until Raihan calmed down, pulling away. Draken smiled up at his son before it quickly faded away. He glanced at the old house, beginning to slowly piece together what had happened to him might have happened to Vivienne as well. He slowly turned his attention back to Raihan, thinking for a moment. 

“Raihan… did you say your sister almost went over the balcony…?” His words were slow and cautious, trying to put the pieces together completely. 

“Y-yeah… the Haunters were pretending to be mum and lured her out onto the balcony. I saw it when I broke into the room.” 

“Pretending to be…?” Draken’s eyes narrowed as realization hit him. He groaned, pulling at his hair. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me… how stupid could I be. Lucario! Inteleon!” 

The two Pokemon were instantly by Draken’s side as he walked towards the manor. Raihan jogged after him, curious as to what was going on. 

“Dad, what are you doing?” 

“I’m going into that house and getting those Haunters out of there.” His eyes were focused forward, narrowed angrily. “They can mock my pain, but they drew the line going after Vivienne and pretending to be your mother.” 

Raihan grinned, whistling his Dragapult over as they got closer to the front porch. 

“That’s what I’ve wanted to do since last night.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!!! I'm not dead, I promise. Work has been exhausting! I hope you guys like this chapter. It's really angsty, but definitely a good one, I think. Thank you for the 2300 hits!! You guys are awesome!!


	29. Two Dumbasses Trying To Be Ghostbusters

Chapter Twenty-Nine

It was eerily quiet as Draken and Raihan stepped into the house with their Pokemon. They both carefully eyed the room, seeing nothing out of the ordinary yet. A soft snarl came from both Dragapult and Lucario while Inteleon narrowed its eyes at the darkness, standing at the ready. The guys exchanged looks. Raihan noticed how anxious his father was suddenly. His fingers were drumming along his thighs, his eyes not focusing on one spot for too long. His father wasn’t one to give away tells, but this was different from a normal pokemon battle. This situation had a lot of emotional baggage and memories tied to it, causing Draken to become overwhelmed. He began to wonder if this was all too much for his dad right now after everything that had happened that day, even only minutes before.

“Dad, you sure you’re up for this right now…?” Raihan kept his voice low, stepping closer to him. 

“Yeah, I’m fine...ish.” Draken shrugged, taking a step further into the room. On the inside, he was screaming. This was the last place he wanted to be, but the Haunter messed with his baby girl and drove him away from his son. They needed to be removed from the house forever to give Draken some sort of peace of mind. Clearing his throat, he forced a small smile at his son, giving him some sort of reassurance that he would be fine. “On the bright side, I don’t think they know we’re here yet.” 

The lights in the house flickered on a few times before going out once more. The front door slammed shut with a loud bang, causing them both to turn and face the door. Raihan stepped up to it and rattled the doorknob. It was locked. Draken sighed heavily, shaking his head. 

“I spoke too soon, didn’t I?” 

“Yeah, just a bit too soon.”

Inteleon’s head perked up, snapping her head to the right. Her water rifle formed in her hands as she raised it up to her shoulder, firing a water bullet at the incoming object. The bullet knocked the book away from Raihan’s head, skidding to a stop on the floor. Inteleon harrumphed as the water rifle disappeared from her hands, glaring in the direction the book had come flying. Both men’s jaws clenched, eyeing where the book came flying from. Mischievous chortling echoed around them as the ghostly figures of a Haunter and Gastly phased in and out of view. Dragapult’s tail flicked. It’s usual chirp was now a snarl. The ghost pokemon smirked as they dissipated, no longer in sight. A darker, more distorted laughter seemed to come from everywhere around the men. They both turned in opposite directions, back to back as they looked for the source of the laughter. Raihan was becoming nervous. The laughter was unsettling as well as the soft, whispers of voices following. The three pokemon stood on the alert, waiting for orders from their trainers. 

“I have no idea where they are going to attack from…” Raihan whispered over his shoulder. 

“They’re not going to show themselves… we’re going to have to lure them out of the shadows…” The flickering lights completely went out, leaving them in darkness besides the moonlight peeking in through the windows. Draken glanced down at his partner pokemon, Lucario meeting his gaze. “Lucario, show us where the Haunters and Gastly are.” 

The pokemon nodded before its eyes closed, its ears shifting to the side. He centered his paws, a blue energy beginning to pulse in the center. Lucario clapped its paws together before outstretching its arms to expand the blue energy. Ripples of the Aura Sphere floated through the house. It lit up the room, allowing them to see. The aura showed two outlined figures charging towards them. Draken’s eyes narrowed, grinning lightly at his idea working. He pointed at the oncoming pokemon, Inteleon instantly in front of Lucario. Raihan was still trying to process what he just witnessed as Draken called out a move. 

“Inteleon! Shadow Ball!” 

Inteleon released the dark mass of energy as the two pokemon approaching them had gotten close enough. Two small Gastly were on the ground, unconscious after the blow, obviously being the two weakest of the bunch. Draken grinned at his pokemon as she glanced over her shoulder to make sure Lucario and the others were alright. 

“That’s my girl.” He walked up to her and stroked the stop of her head, the water-type pokemon humming, content with praise. He looked back at Lucario then, his grin never going away. “You’re doing great, Lucario. Think you could tell us how many there are still?” 

Lucario nodded, closing its eyes once more. No one made a sound or move as they waited for the pokemon to respond. His eyes darted open, stepping up to his trainer. He grabbed onto the hem of his suit jacket, tugging on it four times. Draken nodded, stroking the top of Lucario’s head. 

“Four, huh? Which way, buddy?” Lucario grunted, nodding towards the stairs. Draken sighed heavily. He hadn’t wanted to step further into the house, but it seemed they had no choice in the matter. “Keep up the Aura Sphere. Inteleon and Dragapult got your back, alright?” 

Lucario glanced over at Dragapult as it chirped happily. He smiled lightly and nodded, clapping his hands together, pulling them apart to release another ripple effect of his Aura Sphere. Raihan followed after Draken and his pokemon, eventually walking beside his father as they crept up the stairs. In all his years of training alongside his father and seeing his battles, he had never seen Lucario do that before. 

“How-how did you do that?” Raihan stammered, still trying to figure out how any of this was possible. 

“Do what?” Draken was focused on his surroundings as he spoke.

“The thing… with Lucario?” 

“Oh that, well,” Draken shrugged, stepping onto the platform. “All Lucario are able to use Aura like a radar in a way. It just takes years of training.” 

“Then why have I never seen you use that before?” 

“Because dickhead Rose had a problem with me using that in battles because it was apparently ‘a disadvantage to opposing trainers’ and ‘went against normal battling’.” Draken huffed, rolling his eyes. “Because dynamaxing pokemon totally doesn’t go against your normal standards for battling, but it’s whatever. I’m not still salty about it.” 

“Still can’t stand the Chairman, huh?” Raihan couldn’t hide his grin. Even after being away for five years, his father’s dislike of Chairman Rose was still evident. It had been like that since he was a child, overhearing the bull shit his father had to put up with and what Raihan himself had to deal with now. 

“That shady fuck and his piece of shit of a nephew can go choke on a huge bag of dicks after all the shit they’ve done over the years.” 

“Tell me how you really feel, pops.” Raihan snorted, biting his lip. Draken glanced over and smiled lightly, seeing he managed to make his son laugh. 

The moment ended quickly as the room became ice cold. Raihan and Draken, including their pokemon, could see their breath in front of them. The lights began flickering more aggressively as they headed down the hall. Lucario’s ears flicked once, growling as he turned around sharply. Raihan was the first to see and turned around seeing one of the Haunter about to unleash an Ice Punch. Raihan reacted fast, Dragapult instantly phasing in front of him. 

“Phantom Force!” 

Dragapult vanished instantly, throwing the Haunter off guard. Dragapult appeared behind it from the shadows, attacking it from behind. The Haunter struggled to stay up, only to be struck down by Lucario’s Shadow Claw. The pokemon collapsed, Dragapult chirping, phasing through everything due to its large size. Doors began to swing open violently, opening and slamming shut. 

“I think we definitely pissed them off…” Raihan stepped closer to the center of the hall, away from the doors. He backed up into Draken, stopping himself. 

“That would be a logical observation… you know, since we knocked out two of their babies and another one. I think I’d be pissed too. But that means they’ll be so angry that they’ll fight sloppily, giving us a fair advantage.” 

“I mean- yeah… yeah, okay, you’re ri- dad, watch-” 

A shield came flying off the wall, ramming into Draken, pinning him against the wall. He gripped onto it, trying to push it off him, but a force was pushing down on it harder. Objects in the hallway began levitating, swirling wildly everywhere. Inteleon attempted to Snipe Shot the objects before they could hit Raihan and the others. Raihan threw his hands over his head, ducking down to avoid flying objects Inteleon couldn’t knock away. Being so tall, Raihan was an easy target, some objects hitting him in the arms and side. Raihan ducked down, trying to get to his father, but the flying objects weren’t letting up. Draken grunted, pushing at the shield still. His eyes widened as a Haunter appeared before him, sticking its tongue out at him, snickering. It was beginning to unleash a Shadow Ball, right in front of his face. Draken was beginning to panic, trying to lower himself on the wall out of the way of the attack. Its eyes darted to the side suddenly, the Shadow Ball disappearing as it dodged Inteleon’s Snipe Shot. The shield’s pressure on his chest slackened and fell all together as the Haunter’s focus shifted from Draken to Inteleon. 

The Haunter was faster than the last one, dodging Inteleon’s attacks. It fired multiple Shadow Ball attacks, Inteleon attempting to counter them with her own Shadow Ball attacks. Lucario tried to get in on the action, but another Haunter appeared before him, its eyes glowing a pink hue. The next thing Lucario knew was he was levitating in the air, struggling to get his feet back on the ground. Lucario was thrown across the hall then, unable to stop. Draken had managed to get over to Raihan and help him off the ground when Lucario collided with them. Draken’s head slammed into Raihan’s on impact with the floor, both rubbing their heads. Lucario hopped off the two, shaking his head. Draken growled, glaring over at the two Haunters laughing at them. 

“You know, we came in here with full intentions to kick these guys’ asses, but I think they’re kicking our asses.” Raihan grumbled, trying not to see double. 

“Yeah, and they’re really beginning to piss me off.” Draken snarled. “Lucario! Shadow Claw! Inteleon, Shadow Ball!” 

“Dragapult, Phantom Force followed by Dark Pulse!” 

The Haunters were thrown off by the onslaught of attacks. The Haunter to the left dodged Lucario’s Shadow Claw attack only to be cornered from behind, struck by the Phantom Force move. The Haunter on the right was distracted, watching his friend getting utterly pummeled. It didn’t see the Shadow Ball and was hit full force. Before it could even react, it was hit by a full blast of Dragapult’s Dark Pulse. The Haunter couldn’t remain afloat and fainted, leaving its companion alone. The remaining Haunter struggled to get up only to be struck down by a Shadow Claw. Everything fell silent. It was eerily quiet, leaving the guys standing there suspicious. It couldn't have been that easy defeating the five pokemon. 

The already broken door to the study slammed open. A pair of blood red eyes glowed in the darkness within the room. A nasty snarl came from the being as its eyes narrowed. The eyes disappeared. 

_ “Gen...gar…”  _ It hissed in the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, friends. I'm alive. Exhausted, but alive. I give you father/son bonding time because welcome to the family arc of my fan fiction. I split a chapter in half and left this on a cliffhanger. Ehehe.


	30. They Ain't Afraid Of No Ghost (Maybe Raihan Just A Bit)

Chapter Thirty

Raihan and Draken exchanged nervous glances. They weren’t expecting a Gengar to be lurking around. It explained the poltergeist-like activity they had been experiencing since they entered the hall. A dark and ominous energy pulsed from the room, causing the three other pokemon to become uneasy. They slowly backed away from the door. Raihan and Draken had never seen their pokemon act like that in any given situation before. Draken tapped his fingers on his outer thighs. Raihan looked between him and the door, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“We’re not about to do the dumb horror movie trope and go in and invesitage, right?” 

“I mean, we kind of have to, bud.” Draken shrugged, taking a step towards the door. He stepped out of the way in time as a book was thrown out into the hall. 

“We’re going to fucking die… I’m too young and good looking to die because of a pissed off ghost pokemon, dad.” 

“Well I’m too good looking, but not as young, to die and I’m about to walk in there to finish this shit off. So you can stay out here or you can help me finish what you wanted to come in and do.” 

As Draken crept closer to the door, Raihan mumbled under his breath, following right behind him. 

“Great… just doing all the horror tropes in one go… Going into a haunted room, being fucking pretty… fuck, and we’re black. We’re going to fucking die.” 

Draken stopped in the doorway and looked at his son with a humored expression on his face. 

“Actually I’m part black and part Alolan. You, on the other hand, are black, Alolan, and Hoennese. I think you’re going to be fine, my dude.” 

“Oh Arceus... “ Raihan cringed, covering his face. “Since when do you say ‘my dude’?” 

“Probably because of your sister. I don’t understand a lot of what she says, but she says that’s okay because it’s all in how you feel in that moment.” 

Raihan groaned, covering his face with his hand. He could only imagine what Vivienne had taught their dad in his absence. Knowing his sister, it was probably all cringeworthy. 

“If we make it out of this alive, I’m going to have a talk with Vivienne on what she’s been teaching you…” 

They both walked into the study. Nothing had been changed from the previous night. The balcony door was still open. Glass shards littered the floor. Draken flicked the light switch on, but the lights stayed off. 

“Did you seriously think that was going to work…?” Raihan facepalmed, shaking his head as they walked further into the room. 

Draken merely shrugged, looking around for any sign of the Gengar. 

“Eh… it was worth a shot.” 

“Dad… For someone so smart, you’re such a dumbass sometimes.” 

“I have been told that before. Vivienne had a certain term for it, but I can’t think of it at the moment.”

They walked farther into the room. A cool night breeze came from the balcony. Their footsteps echoing in the silence. Something darted back and forth in the shadows, snickering. Both men stood back to back, trying to pinpoint the Gengar’s location, but it was too fast, darting to each darkened corner. The door to the study slammed shut. Books began flying off the shelves, swirling around the room. The balcony door flung to the side, slamming against the interior wall. The glass in the panes shattered at the force from the repeated abuse. Wood scraping across the floor caused Raihan’s eyes to widen as he turned and saw his father’s desk sliding its way across the floor. 

“Dad, move!” Raihan moved out of the way in time, but Draken wasn’t as lucky. 

He turned as the desk slammed against his knee. Tumbling over the desk, he landed hard on his back, groaning. The pain in his knee shot up his body, his jaw clenched. This was definitely not one of his better nights or days for that matter. He slowly opened his eyes to find a pair of red glowing eyes and a set of pearly white teeth hovering over him. Gengar chortled darkly over him, rearing its arm back as it began to glow with a dark, shadowy energy. Draken rolled out of the way in time as the Shadow Claw slashed up the floorboards where he was laying just moments before. Inteleon blasted a Shadow Ball at the poltergeist only for it to phase away. Raihan rushed forward towards his father. He skidded to a stop as the Gengar phased in front of him, smirking like a predator cornering its prey. There was a glint in its eyes, then the room almost seemed to turn purple. 

Disembodied voices eerily echoed throughout the room. There was one voice that was prominent amongst the rest, causing Raihan’s heart to drop. Now he could understand what his dad and Vivienne had gone through in this room. That voice sounded almost identical to his mother’s, only slightly distorted from the overlapping voices. The Gengar was somehow tapping into their memories to recreate voices or illusions of someone that impacted their lives. Raihan had no idea how the pokemon was managing to do this, but he knew one thing: a pokemon with that sort of ability was dangerous and not to be trifled with. Gengar began forming a Shadow Ball aiming it right at Raihan when it was struck by a Phantom Force attack. The pokemon went flying, slamming against the wall. Dragapult snarled at the pokemon, appearing transparent. The ghost-type hopped back to its feet, panting slightly from the attack. A thought came to Raihan as he watched the pokemon. This Gengar never actually had to fight before. It was used to defeating its victims with its illusions, it never had to properly go up against properly trained pokemon. 

Its eyes glowed a more menacing red as more furniture began to slide around and fly into the air, redirecting the other pokemon’s attention so they wouldn’t get hit. Draken had managed to stand on his feet for a few moments. The next thing he knew, the desk chair slammed into him from behind, knocking him off his feet and right into Raihan. Both landed hard on the floor. A growl escaped Draken’s throat as he got up. Gengar snickered and stuck its tongue out at them, disappearing into the shadows.

“Oh fucking piss off, ghost!” He growled, pointing at the Pokemon. “Lucario, light the place up with Aura Sphere! The cheeky fucker isn’t hiding anymore! Inteleon, cover Lucario and follow Gengar’s motions and attack when the timing is right.” 

“Dragapult, keep after Gengar using Phantom Force! It doesn’t know how to fight properly.” 

Lucario’s Aura Sphere technique lit up the room, exposing the outline of the Gengar darting through the shadows. Inteleon stood at the ready, building up a Shadow Ball, waiting. Anytime Gengar would stop to make an attack, Dragpult would be right there with a Phantom Force attack. Gengar frantically weaved back and forth to avoid the onslaught of attacks, being grazed a few times. Its breathing was becoming ragged, not focused enough to pay attention to where it was going. Dragapult appeared before it and struck it head on before disappearing again. Inteleon saw her chance and released her full blast of Shadow Ball at the disoriented pokemon, striking it. Draken shielded Raihan with his body, waiting for the smoke and possible debri to clear up. They slowly turned their heads as the smoke slowly dissipated, seeing the Gengar completely knocked out. Dragapult reappeared in its transparent form beside Raihan, chirping happily. Both men carefully sat up, pulling their pokemon’s Ultra Balls off their belts. 

“Nicely done, my loves.” Draken smiled lightly as his pokemon returned to their balls. 

“You were awesome, Derpy.” Raihan scratched the pokemon’s chin before it returned to his ball. He turned and saw his father staring at him with a raised brow. “What?” 

“Derpy?” 

“We don’t use nicknames in battle. At least his name isn’t Fluffy…” 

Raihan grumbled under his breath. Draken shook his head, chuckling. He groaned as he laid back on the ground, sprawled out on the floor. He laid there for a couple minutes, having a feeling he definitely messed up his knee. Both men were going to have scrapes and bruises the next day, there was no doubt about that. Now Draken had to figure out what to do with the unconscious pokemon. One person came to mind who would know exactly what to do. He flinched, pulling out his Rotom Phone. He pulled up a number, waiting for the caller to answer. Raihan sat there, raising an eyebrow as he eyed his father curiously. 

“Uh… who are you calling?” Raihan rubbed the back of his head, flinching. 

“Becky.” Draken simply answered, tapping his fingers on the phone. 

“Why are you calling Bea’s aunt? It’s the middle of the ni-”

Draken raised a finger to silence him as a woman’s voice came over the phone. 

“Well, well, well, you are the last person I’d expect calling me right now, Draken Gray.” There was a playful and sarcastic tone in the woman’s voice, followed by a chuckle. 

Draken merely grinned. 

“Hello, Becky. How are you doing?” 

“Oh I’m doing better now. Kind of curious as to why you called. Melony and Kabu and the others rarely hear from you, so this is a bit of a surprise.” 

“Well, I uh- hm… sorry about that… I’m actually… home and had a bit of a skirmish with some corrupt ghost pokemon… I was wondering if you could pick them up?” 

“You’re ho- Please tell me you didn’t go into that house by yourself. I told Raihan over and over again not to let anyone in that house.” 

“I wasn’t alone. Raihan was with me, and we got all the pokemon.” 

There was a huff on the other side of the call. 

“I don’t know whether to be impressed or think you both are suicidal. Don’t answer that.” 

“Becky.” 

She sighed heavily before responding. 

“It just so happens I’m finishing a job in Hammerlocke right now… give me about ten minutes, and I’ll be over.” 

“Thank you, Becky.” Draken’s voice softened. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… you’re lucky I love you, ya giant pain in my ass.” The line fell silent for a moment. “I’m glad you’re back home.” 

Raihan watched as his father’s face fell, staring up at the ceiling. He didn’t respond until he heard his name. 

“Yeah, I’d hold your breath with that one… It hasn’t been the greatest start. I’ll see you in a few, Ghostie.” 

“Hm… see ya in a bit, Mushu.” 

The call ended.

“Mushu?” Raihan snickered, hearing a groan escape from his father. 

“Don’t you start… now help your old man up.” 

Raihan helped Draken sit up, wrapping an arm around him. They carefully stood their feet, Draken putting his weight on his good knee. He wrapped his arm around Raihan’s waist as they began making their way out of the study. Raihan glanced down at his father. He had never expected his father coming home would end up like this, but honestly wouldn’t want it any other way. Draken felt eyes on him and glanced up, smiling lightly. 

“What?” 

“Oh nothing…” Raihan carefully helped him down the stairs. “You going to make it, Mushu?” 

Draken groaned, throwing his head back. Raihan laughed, patting him on the back. 

“Don’t you start, too… Becky, Kabu, and Melony see me do a Mushu impression one time, one time for Bea and Vivienne when they were little, and no one can seem to let it go.” 

“Ah… that is gold.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my friends. I give you one hot mess of a chapter that I finally got around to finishing. xD I hope you guys enjoyed this father-son bonding session. More himbo shit to come, I hope y'all prepared.


	31. The Dragons Awaken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Lindsay for being my hype girl and helping me with this chapter!!! Because oh boy... was I struggling. 
> 
> Also, apparently it is Pokemon Sword and Shield's first anniversary, so here's a chapter of pain to commemorate this happy occasion. Enjoy. xD

Chapter Thirty-One

Zinnia and Vivienne both came out of their rooms around the same time the next morning. When they walked out to the living room, they were greeted with a slightly concerning, but more humorous sight. Raihan was sprawled out on the couch with an ice pack on his head, his eyes covered by his arm. Draken sat in the armchair with his leg propped up on the coffee table, an ice pack on his knee. Both men had minimal abrasions along their arms, and a few small bruises here and there. The girls blinked a few times, sharing confused expressions as they began to wonder what happened while they were sleeping. 

“Wow… did you guys beat the shit out of each other last night?” Zinnia finally managed to put words together, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

Raihan huffed, groaning as he shifted on the couch. He uncovered one eye enough that the girls could see he was looking at them. One look and they could tell he was not amused with dark circles under his eyes. Releasing another groan, he shielded his eyes once more with his arm. 

“Sure, let’s go with that…” He grumbled. 

“I think I would have preferred that over what actually happened…” Draken huffed, slumping down in the chair. 

Both girls stared at the guys a moment longer, still not fully functioning yet. Vivienne rubbed her head, smoothing out her bed head as she yawned. 

“Tea isn’t going to be strong enough for this… Zinny, let’s go make some coff-” Vivienne’s eyes widened, just then realizing her cousin was right beside her. “ZINNY!!!”

There was a loud squeal, causing both Raihan and Draken to look over and see Vivienne picking Zinnia up into a giant bear hug. The next thing they knew, Vivienne was sitting on the ground, hugging Zinnia with no intentions of letting her go any time soon. Her face was nuzzled into her neck as Zinnia had her arms wrapped around her neck, holding her close, stroking her hair. Zinnia chuckled softly, resting her head on top of Vivienne's. Raihan and Draken smiled warmly at the girls, happy to see the change in Vivienne’s mood, even if it only lasted a moment.

“I’m guessing Uncle Draken didn’t tell you I tagged along, huh?” Vivienne shook her head, holding her closer. Zinnia laughed, patting her back. Vivienne had always been like this since they were little when it came to seeing Zinnia. She knew she wasn’t going to let her go any time soon. “Come on, let’s go make some coffee, okay? I think we all need a pick-me-up, yeah?” 

“O-okay, yeah… yeah, we can do that.” Vivienne stood up, still holding onto Zinnia. Zinnia sighed heavily. Being 5’4” in a family of dumbass giants made her feel like a child at times, and she was the oldest out of the cousins. Zinnia shook her head and held onto her as Vivienne walked into the kitchen. 

Once the girls were back in the room and situated, Vivienne climbed onto the arm chair, getting comfortable before snuggling up to Draken. He repositioned himself, wrapping an arm around her to allow her to rest her head on his shoulder, pressing his lips against her forehead. She grabbed her mug and held it contently in both hands, feeling a little better compared to the last two days. Since Raihan had hogged up the entire couch, Zinnia perched herself on the arm of the couch.

“Since we’re all here, could someone kindly explain to Viv and I… why you are both here? Like I’m not complaining… just kind of shocked that you’re both here.” Raihan uncovered his eyes, slowly sitting up. 

“To keep things short and simple: Everett is up to no good.” Zinnia answered bluntly. 

“Yeah, well he’s a piece of shit. Not really surprising, Z.” Raihan scoffed, rolling his eyes at the mention of his name. 

Draken sighed, knowing Raihan didn’t fully understand what Zinnia had meant. He cleared his throat, drawing their attention to him. 

“It’s more than him being a piece of shit, bud.” Draken went to get up before realizing he couldn’t with Vivienne curled up beside him. He didn’t have the heart to ask her to get up, so he sat back in the seat and looked over at Zinnia. “Zinnia, could you hand me my satchel, please?” 

Zinnia hopped off the arm of the couch, grabbing his bag and setting it on his lap. He rummaged through it, pulling out a folder with photographs in it. He handed a few to Raihan, leaving the rest for Vivienne to take a look at.

“These are photos taken by Zinnia’s Magma tech. About a month after Kaida came home, someone broke into the Archives and stole three forbidden books, one of which being the Shadowbinder.” 

“The Shadowbinder?” Raihan’s head perked up. “You mean that freaky book you’ve been obsessed with since we were kids?” 

“That would be the one. With some investigating, Zinnia has learned Everett was the one who stole the books.” 

“But what would Everett want with these books?” Vivienne chirped in this time, scrutinizingly looking over each photo. 

“That’s what we’re getting to.” Zinnia perched herself back on the arm of the couch. The entire situation still left a bad taste in her mouth over the idea of that scumbag’s hands on those books. “On top of stealing the books, Everett has been collecting plates from the Sinnoh region as well as something he keeps hidden in a high tech case. He won’t let anyone touch it. I also gotta hand it to your friend V because she’s the one who sparked this entire investigation.” 

“Kiki?” Vivienne perked up, remembering Zinnia had spoken to her a while back.

“Is that her name? Lovely, now I know. Anyway, yes. She’s the one who told me about the plates and asshat’s fascination with The Darkest Day.” 

“How would he know anything about The Darkest Day? Not many people outside of Galar know that story.” Raihan placed the photos on the coffee table. He was sick of looking at Everett’s smug mug.

“He would know because he is Galarian.” Vivienne answered before the other two. Her voice was soft. She would have rather been talking about anyone but him, but she was the one person in the room who spent the most time with him. “He was born in Galar, then moved to Sootopolis City as a child. He’s actually Chairman Rose’s nephew… so it would explain the obsession with the Darkest Day.” 

“Makes sense as to why I never liked the little shit…” Draken grumbled. Something Vivienne had said made him fall silent. How did she know Rose had an obsession with The Darkest Day? She almost said it too casually. “Kaida… how do you know that?” 

“What? About Rose’s obsession with The Darkest Day? Leon would-” She stopped, feeling the tightness in her chest. Saying his name was enough to bring back the hurt she felt from the other night. The others waited patiently for her. Zinnia wasn’t sure what was going on, but she could see whatever it was was upsetting Vivienne by the slump in her shoulders and how sad her bright eyes had become. It took everything Zinnia had not to demand to know who hurt her cousin this time so she could go give them a piece of her mind. 

“Leon would what, sweetheart…?” Draken spoke gingerly, brushing her hair back. He took her coffee mug gently from her hands, placing it on the side table.

It was shocking for Zinnia to see how patient and gentle the two men were at the moment compared to their normal, loud, hot-headed selves. She had also not seen Vivienne this quiet and distant in a long time. It was as if she were reverting back to the days when she was shy and quiet, not her usual bright and passionate self. 

“Leon would… mention how the Chairman-” As if on cue, Vivienne’s phone came flying towards her, chirping. Her heart sank seeing the notification on her phone. 

_ “Babe is calling!” _ The phone chirped at her. 

Vivienne’s jaw tensed. She was visibly shaking now, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Now wasn’t the time to cry, not in front of everyone. She was honestly sick of crying over everything. She shook her head, taking a deep breath as she ignored the call. As much as she secretly wanted to hear his voice and hear what he had to say, she couldn’t bring herself to do it after all the hateful things he said. As she continued talking, the call ended, her phone landing on the side table between her and Raihan. 

“He mentioned that Chairman Rose was pressuring him to help protect Galar’s future from extinction in the next thousand years. Rose is also obsessed with finding wishing star pieces that supposedly had come from Eternatus’s body three thousand years ago… you just kind of put two and two together. Especially with all the weird things going on.” 

“Weird things? What weird things?” 

“There’s been an awful amount of spikes at power spots, and we had an earthquake a few weeks ago coming from the powerplant.” Raihan’s face had grown serious as he continued. “I enquired about it, but the chairman reassured me that everything was alright and not to worry about it. Of course I know that’s a load of bollocks and didn’t believe him for one moment.” 

“I’m so glad I raised you both to see through that shady fucker…” Draken sighed in relief before his eyes narrowed. “That concerns me if the Chairman is up to something involving the Dynamax energy, especially since Everett has the Shadowbinder.” 

“But that book is just a load of hocus pocus bull shit, right? Dark magic isn’t real.” 

“See, that’s where you’re wrong, Rai. Pokemon hold an almost mystical power that we don’t quite fully understand to this day. If you think about it, throughout history, magic was merely science not understood at the time. The Shadowbinder has the world’s darkest and most dangerous spells, making it the most dangerous grimoire to ever exist in history. This grimoire has a spell to practically make anyone into a god by summoning and controlling any legendary pokemon in existence; harnessing their power to distort time and space, level cities, expand oceans and continents, destroy and create new worlds and universes. This is one of the scariest books to ever exist. It’s a book that shouldn’t exist. No one should have that kind of power. Imagine that in the wrong hands, like it is right now. We all know this punk has a god complex. He takes pleasure in taking advantage of people and ruining their lives. And you’re going to tell me-” 

_ “Babe is calling!”  _ Vivienne’s phone chirped loudly again, interrupting Draken. 

Vivienne groaned, burying her face into her hands. Why was he calling her? Hadn’t he hurt her enough as is? Angry tears began to roll down her face as the phone chirped at her again, repeating its message again. Draken held her close to him, rubbing her back. 

“Sweetheart, if you want to take the call, you-” 

Vivienne shook her head, releasing a shaky, heavy breath. Raihan angrily looked at her phone and took it in his hands, the others watching him curiously. He answered the phone, Leon instantly talking the moment the call connected. 

“Vivienne, please don’t hang up! I just want to-”

“Vivienne doesn’t want to talk to you right now, so fuck off, asshole!” Raihan yelled into the phone before ending the call, placing the phone down on the table once more. 

“Excuse me…” Vivienne’s voice was barely above a whisper as she stood up, walking into the kitchen and out the side door.

Leon brought the phone away from his ear as Raihan yelled through the speaker. The call ended just as soon as it started. Leon groaned loudly in frustration, gripping at his hair. He was finally able to muster the courage to call Vivienne, to try and talk things through, but he wasn’t getting anywhere. After everything he had said, he didn’t blame her for being hurt and upset. He had made her and Raihan a promise to only break it in a matter of minutes because of something Everett did to him. He wasn’t sure what exactly Everett did to him, but he knew that he would have never said those things to Vivienne, not in a million years. He would have listened to her and talked it out, but why had that night been so different? The pressure in his head, Everett’s words repeating like a mantra in his head… it happened out of nowhere, taking control of him. He growled, slamming the side of his fist against the wall at the thought Everett. If he ever ran into the piece of shit again, he was going to regret everything, even if that meant Leon losing his Champion title. He hurried out the door, locking it before throwing Charizard’s Ultra Ball, releasing the pokemon. 

“Hey, buddy, I need to get to Vivienne’s as fast as possible.” 

Charizard landed in front of the gate to the estate. Leon hopped down, walking through the gate. He stepped up to the front door, knocking. The moment the door opened, dread came over Leon. Raihan was the one to answer, and he was the one person Leon didn’t want to face right now. Raihan’s glare was predatory as he towered over him. Leon actually felt intimidated in that moment, knowing Raihan’s anger towards him was now pure rage. There was no telling what Raihan would do. In his fits of rage, he was unpredictable and could strike at any time, especially when it came to protecting people he cared about. 

“I believe I told you on the fucking phone that Vivienne doesn’t want to talk to you and that you could fuck off.” Raihan snarled. 

“Rai, man, listen. I just want to talk to her. I didn’t mean-” 

“You have a lot of fucking nerve to show up here after what you did to my sister.” Leon jumped as Raihan slammed the door shut. He was surprised the door didn’t crack from the force. “You fucking show up here after you fucking lied to my fucking face, saying you would never hurt my sister. Then what do you do after that? You do the thing you said you’d never do. Like who the fuck do you think you are, man?” 

Raihan had somehow managed to back Leon off the porch and into the yard. It was taking everything for Raihan not to sock Leon in the jaw. He felt his fists tightening as well as his jaw. His whole body was trembling from anger, his heart rate rising. The only thing keeping him from beating the shit out of Leon was the promise he made to Kabu replaying in the back of his head. He really didn’t feel like pissing off Kabu and breaking that promise. When he finally loosened his fists, he hadn’t realized he had dug his fingernails into his skin, irritating his already bruised hands. 

“Raihan, you have to believe me when I say I never wanted to say any of those things to Vivienne. Everett did something-” 

“No, that’s where I’m fucking going to stop you, Lee. As much as I fucking hate that prick,  _ you  _ are the one who said that shit to her.  _ You  _ are the one who hurt  _ my  _ sister. The fucking one person who means the entire world to me, and I almost  _ lost her _ because of you, you fucking  _ piece of shit! _ ”

Raihan grabbed Leon by the shirt, lifting him off the ground. Leon gripped at his wrist, his eyes widening when he noticed the tattoo under Raihan’s Dynamax band glowing. He glanced up and was taken aback by Raihan’s eyes glowing a bright ice blue. His fangs were bared and his eyes were narrowed, resembling a dragon. A deep growl rumbled from the back of his throat. He had never seen Raihan this furious and animalistic before, and he had certainly never seen his eyes glow for that matter.

“Raihan, put him down.” A soft voice called out. “I’ll handle this.”

Raihan instantly snapped out of it, his eyes returning to their normal cerulean color. Both guys turned their heads and saw Vivienne sitting in the yard, leaning back against a napping Arcanine with a sketchbook in her lap. Raihan snarled, turning his attention back to Leon. He huffed and dropped Leon back on his feet. He turned on his heels and headed for the house, seeing Draken and Zinnia standing in the doorway. He pushed past them, Zinnia flinching when she heard his door slam. Draken sighed heavily, shaking his head; his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the doorframe. He looked at Leon and gave him a small wave, smiling lightly. 

“You alright, bud?” 

Leon was surprised to see Draken after all of these years, but was also shocked by how calm and hospitable he was toward him at the moment. Raihan and Vivienne had to have told him what had happened. Leon smoothed out his shirt, clearing his throat. 

“Y-yes, I’m alright, sir.” 

“Alright, good.” Draken turned his attention to Vivienne, his face still with the same soft smile. “Kaida, if you need us, we’ll be inside, alright?” 

Vivienne nodded, focusing on her drawing again. Draken smiled at Leon one last time before heading back into the house. Zinnia was close behind, glaring at Leon, giving him the universe signal that she had her eyes on him. The door closed quietly behind her, leaving the two alone. Leon watched Vivienne for a moment. The light breeze tossed her hair gently. He could see her eyes and cheeks were red from crying, but her expression was stoic and focused. She didn’t look up at him. Her pencil continued scratching along the paper. 

“Vivienne, I-” He took a few steps towards her before stopping in his tracks as her very angry Hydreigon landed in between them. It was obvious the Hydreigon was not happy with Leon at the moment, having a feeling he was the reason for his trainer being sad. The three-headed dragon-type pokemon snarled and snapped at Leon, causing him to step back out of the way. 

“ _ Cerberus!”  _ Vivienne’s sharp tone caused the pokemon to back off, turning towards his trainer. Vivienne gave Cerberus a hard look, not happy with the way he was acting. “You do not snap at people! You know better. Now you leave him alone and go play with the others.  _ Now. _ ” 

Cerberus pouted after being scolded by his trainer. He growled once more at Leon before flying off to the other side of the yard where the other pokemon were running around and playing. Leon sighed in relief, thanking Arceus she didn’t let her Hydreigon eat him alive. Her eyes finally met his, causing his heart to break. It was almost like it hurt her to look at him. 

“Vivienne-” He began but was silenced by her hand raising to stop him. 

“You come to insult me more? Wanna call me a slut this time? Maybe a whore? Or a liar again, since apparently I’m ‘living a huge lie.’” 

Leon flinched at her words, figuring she was going to use his words against him. He sighed heavily, walking up to her. 

“Vivienne, I know sorry isn’t going to cut it, but you have to believe when I say I never wanted to say those things to you. Can we please talk about this?” 

“Oh, so  _ now _ he wants to talk.” She let out a mirthless laugh, slamming her sketchbook shut. She was hurt, but now she was pissed. “Where was this Leon the other night? Oh wait, right, he was being a fucking dick.” 

“You have every right to be upset with me right now, Viv, you really do, but that wasn’t me saying those things. Come on, you know me. I would never want to hurt you. Everett must have done something to me.” 

“Like what? What could have Everett possibly done to make you treat me like that? Everett didn’t say those things, Leon.  _ You did. _ ” 

“Viv-” 

“No, it’s  _ my  _ turn to talk.” She was suddenly standing on her feet, towering over him. Leon instantly fell silent, waiting for her to speak. “Let me get one fucking thing straight: I may be a lot of things, but a manipulative, lying slut who uses people is not one of the things I am. Have I kept things from you and my family? Absolutely. Because those things made me feel uncomfortable. Those things made me feel like everyone would judge me and think differently of me. And now? Now I don’t really give a fuck anymore because I’m tired-I’m tired of people like Everett lying and destroying every last shred of happiness I have left. I’m fucking tired of hiding parts of my life because I feel ashamed because of some asshole getting off on making my life a living Hell. Then you came along and made me feel like ‘hey, maybe not all guys are like that piece of shit you dated.’ ‘Maybe you do deserve happiness for once, Vivienne.’ ‘Maybe this one will be different and accept you for who you are.’ But no you went and threw that all away when you believed filth like Everett Rose.” 

Vivienne waited a moment to see if he would say something. He didn’t say a word. He just attentively watched her. She continued. 

“Everett would never tell you the real reason why I stole from Professor Birch because he enjoys manipulating everything to make it sound worse than it actually is. I helped Zinnia steal a Keystone because we needed Rayquaza to stop Kyogre and Groudon from destroying Hoenn and the world. But that makes me a thief and awful fucking person apparently for saving the fucking world. Yeah, I was a stripper: doesn’t mean I fucking slept around because that’s not a stripper’s job. And I mostly was a bartender there and just talked to people, occasionally dancing. Why did I become a stripper? Oh let me tell you why because I’m sure Everett would never tell anyone the true reason. The main reason was to get away from my verbally and mentally abusive boyfriend and to make some extra money doing it. But oh no, because I was barely at home at night meant that was I was cheating on someone I literally walked in on fucking another girl. But oh no, I’m the fucking slut here. Hell, I would be a homewrecking slut for one man, and one man only, and that would be Part Three Joseph fucking Joestar, Leon. A fucking fictional character who isn’t  _ real! _ But no. Apparently I’m using you and doing the same thing that every other girl has done to you after constantly reassuring you I would never do that to you. After constantly reassuring you how happy you made me. I don’t fucking play games when it comes to my heart, Leon, and I certainly hate it when people fucking play with my heart. And you know something? I’m fucking stupid for still loving you and wanting to be with you.”

She fell silent, holding herself as she stared down at the ground. She was breathing heavier, but felt a weight lifted off her shoulders after two nights of constantly replaying what she wished she would have been able to say to him the other night. Leon stared down at her, processing everything she just told him. Vivienne held so much back, that it finally blew up in his face. He felt his chest tighten more as he watched fresh tears come down her face. He never wanted to be the one to make her cry. He hated seeing her cry and being the reason for her tears hurt him more. Leon stepped forward, slowly reaching out to touch her arm. Vivienne recoiled back a step, angrily wiping the tears from her face. 

“Don’t.” Vivienne’s voice cracked, avoiding his gaze. 

“Vivienne, please…” 

“Leon, just leave… because I don’t think I could ever love someone so-so two faced.” His eyes widened in confusion, his brows furrowed. “You told Raihan how much you cared for me. You called me caring and brilliant, but then turned around and called me a liar.” She choked on her words, growing angrier at herself for crying at a time where she wanted to be angry and strong. “You-you told Rai that you didn’t have to put on a face around me, that you could be yourself again… but tell me, what’s your real face, Leon, because I don’t know anymore. So just-leave…” 

Leon wanted to say something, but he decided against it, sighing in defeat. She was never going to believe him, and there was no point in trying to continue the conversation when she was that upset. He decided to do the one thing he could possibly do right at that moment, respecting her wishes. He turned around and headed towards the gate where Charizard was waiting anxiously. Vivienne watched him fly off on Charizard’s back and finally broke down, collapsing to her knees and burying her face into her hands. There was a soft grumble sound beside her, causing her to open her eyes to see Rayquaza had come out of the woods. He coiled up around her, nuzzling his head against her face. Vivienne wrapped her arms around the serpents neck, burying her face into its neck. Her other pokemon surrounded her and Rayquaza, laying down near their trainer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, wow, this time it didn't take me a month to post a new chapter. xD I was really vibing with this chapter... I apologize if Vivienne got into a rambling fit, but the girl needed to get a lot off her chest. Things will get worse before they get better. I'm sorry. I hope you guys enjoyed.


	32. I Feel A Change

Chapter Thirty-Two

A week had gone by since Vivienne had blown up on Leon, and no one dared bringing it up to her. She seemed to gradually return to her normal self, but there always seemed to be a dark cloud following over her that she couldn’t shake off. Everyone noticed it, but no one mentioned it, trying to keep her distracted and focused on other things. 

It was the morning when Raihan stepped out of his room in his gym uniform. He had a challenger that day, and he felt pretty confident he would win judging by what he had seen from the challenger’s other battles. He readjusted his Pokeball belt as he walked into the living room. Draken and the girls were already awake and ready for the day. Raihan couldn’t help but smile, seeing Vivienne sitting beside their dad. They were both sitting the exact same way, hovering over some kind of book. He was beginning to see what Kabu had meant by Vivienne being more like their dad. He stepped farther into the room. 

“Morn-” Raihan began then stopped when he saw Zinnia seated in the arm chair with a strange, little, mauve pokemon on her lap. Its face looked as though it were stuck between startled and confused. Zinnia had it curled up in the blankets as she played around on her phone.“-ing… what pokemon is that…?” 

Zinnia raised an eyebrow at Raihan before smiling down at the little pokemon, wrapping her arms around her.

“Oh this is my Whismur, Aster. Isn’t she the cutest? I caught her a few years ago. Aster, can you say hi?” 

“ _ Whismur!”  _ she cried out happily before escaping under the blankets shyly. 

Raihan was taken aback by the name of Whismur. It made a lot of sense why Zinnia named the pokemon after his mom. His mom meant a lot to her, and he knew her death affected her the same as them. He watched Zinnia pull the covers off the pokemon, stroking its head lightly to calm it down. It made Raihan smile. He slowly reached out and scratched the pokemon behind the ears. The pokemon was pleasantly surprised, chirping in content. 

“Nice to meet ya, sweetheart.” Raihan smiled down at Whismur, giving her a rub on top of the head. 

“Morning, Rai.” Draken looked up from his work, giving him a smile. “You have a challenger today?” 

“Oh uh-morning, dad. Yeah. Yeah I do, this afternoon. I was just heading in early to make sure everything was good to go.” 

“Sounds good, kiddo. You’re going to do great.” His smile brightened before he looked back at his work, flipping the page. 

“Th-thanks, dad.” Raihan was taken aback, unable to hide the small smile creeping onto his lips. It felt… nice hearing his dad say something encouraging to him. Shoving his hands in his pocket, he headed towards the door. “I’ll… see you guys later.” 

“Bye, Rai. Good luck.” Vivienne waved at him. 

“Kick some ass, bitch.” Zinnia told him, holding Whismur close to her.

“Thanks, guys.” He reached for the door knob and stopped. A thought came to him suddenly and all the nerves kicked in. Would it hurt him to ask his dad to come watch him battle? He fidgeted with his hands, unable to move. He didn’t want to ask his dad to come if he wasn’t ready to step foot in the gym. That wouldn’t have been cool on any level. But something inside Raihan thought it would be worth a try to ask him. Slowly turning, he kept his eyes on the floor, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh… dad…?” 

“Yeah, bud?” Draken looked up, his brows furrowed from the change in Raihan’s demeanor. “Raihan, what’s wr-”

“Do you want to-do you want to come see my battle today?” The words tumbled off his lips, interrupting his father. The room fell silent. “I just- It would mean a lot if you… and even Zinnia and Vivi were there… But you don’t have to, I understand if-”

“You want us to come watch you battle…?” Raihan slowly nodded, lifting his head just enough to look at him. His father sat there, almost surprised before a huge, fanged smile lit up his face. “I would love to watch you battle. It would be a good break for your sister and I, and Zinnia can see a Dynamax battle in person. Plus, it would be nice to see everyone again.”

“You-you would?!” Raihan cleared his throat, blushing from getting overexcited. “I uh, awesome. That would be awesome, and everyone would probably be happy to see you again.” 

“Then we’ll come with you.” Draken closed his book, standing up. 

“Oh heeeeell yes.” Zinnia hopped off the armchair, placing Whismur on her shoulder. “This is going to be fucking lit.” 

Vivienne laughed, standing up with the others. It was the first she had laughed in a week.

This was probably the happiest Raihan had felt in months, maybe in years, and it was all because his family was finally with him again.

There were a lot of people out that morning. Hammerlocke was bustling in anticipation for the gym challenge that day. Vivienne was carrying Zinnia on her back as the guys walked ahead, Raihan excitedly talking about the progress he had made with the gym. Draken listened attentively with his hands in his pockets and a small smile on his face. It made Vivienne smile seeing her dad and Raihan talking and happy for a change. Zinnia leaned over her shoulder, looking around at the crowd of people. 

“May I ask why every woman on this street is staring at us?” 

Vivienne glanced around to see what Zinnia had meant. All the women were staring at Raihan and her dad, both men completely oblivious to the murmuring and stares. 

“Probably checking out dad and Rai.” She nonchalantly answered. 

Zinnia blinked a few times, confused as to why she had said that like it was a normal day-to-day occurrence. 

“Um, okay, this may be because I’m not around much, but uh… why?” 

“Well, both dad and Rai are two of Galar’s most popular Leaders as well as Gordie and Piers. So women practically drool in their presence. Like you should have seen how women reacted to dad when he entered the field for  _ his  _ challenges. Oh my Arceus… he would just smile or even just breathe and they’d be screaming their bloody heads off.” 

“What the hell…? I can’t even get anyone to call me back, let alone notice me like that. What the fuck?” 

“I can’t even keep a boyfriend and usually end up jinxing everything, so I understand the feeling, my dude.” 

“V-” Zinnia pouted. She was interrupted by the sound of screaming up ahead. 

Both Raihan and Draken turned their heads, seeing a swarm of fangirls running towards them. Raihan smiled, but it slowly faded away as they ran past him, surrounding his father. Vivienne and Zinnia both snorted, quickly covering their mouths as they watched everything unfold. 

“ _ Draken! _ ”

“ _ I love you! _ ”

“ _ Oh my Arceus, my mum is going to lose her shit. _ ”

“ _ My dad loves you! _ ”

A fanged smirk spread across Draken’s face as he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. He had always been popular with all age groups, but after being gone so long, he had no clue he was still this popular after all this time. He glanced over at his kids, seeing the girls snickering at Raihan’s gaping expression. All Draken could do was shrug and mouth sorry before giving his full attention back to the girls surrounding him. He raised his hands, and they fell silent instantly. 

“Is this really happening right now?” Zinnia asked, resting her chin on top of Vivienne’s head. 

“Oh it’s happening, my dude.” Vivienne poked Raihan in the side, snickering. “Oh how the turns tabled.” 

“Vivienne… a man’s ego has just been shattered… please be a little kinder… thank you.” Raihan grumbled, placing his hand over his chest. 

“Yare yare…” Vivienne rolled her eyes. “You’re such a drama queen…” 

“Now, now ladies. One at a time. Now, what could I do for you lovely ladies this morning?” 

“You could do me…” Someone muttered under their breath. 

Draken heard the comment, covering his face with his hands as his face darkened. The girls laughed at his reaction. He lowered his hand, unable to keep from smiling. Something inside him kind of missed the attention and his fans. 

“Oh dear… well, I can’t do that, but I can sign things and take photos, but then I really must get back to my family.” 

“ _ Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! _ ” They all squealed, waiting patiently. 

Draken smiled brighter, pulling a pen from his breast pocket to sign the first fan’s book. She stood there, unable to move, completely awestruck. She had to be around Zinnia’s age, maybe a little older. 

“What’s your name, love?” He gently took her book from her hands, opening it to the inside of the cover. 

“R-Rae, sir…” She stammered.

“Rae? That’s a pretty name.” He began writing as he spoke. 

“Th-thank you… Are-Are you doing better?” 

Draken stopped for a moment, taken aback by the genuine question. He smiled softly at the fan then finished writing in her book, closing it and handing it back to her. 

“I’m… actually doing a lot better… Thank you for asking, Rae.” 

He bent down and let her take a selfie with him, flashing his famous fanged smile. He continued down the line doing the same for each girl. He reached a woman with a bright, pink mohawk with a more punk aesthetic than the others. She aired more confidence than the other girls. Draken was pretty sure she was the one who made the comment earlier. She had her arms folded across her chest and a sly smirk on her lips when Draken finally reached her. 

“What would you like me to sign, sweetheart?” 

She held up a sharpie in her hand, her smirk growing. 

“Can you sign my chest?” 

Draken blinked once before glancing down at her chest then back into her eyes, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Woah, um… wow, no one’s asked me to do that in years.” He cooly admitted, shrugging. “Um… sure, why not.” 

“Fucking sweet.” Her smirked turned into a bright smile, handing him the sharpie, holding her shirt back some. 

Draken grinned and chuckled, carefully signing the open spot on her chest. Zinnia had slid off Vivienne’s back, her jaw dropping. 

“He’s not-is he really?” Zinnia glanced over at Vivienne and Raihan, biting her lip to hold back a laugh. 

Vivienne was patting a pouting Raihan on the back. His shoulders were slumped forward as he watched. 

“Why don’t pretty punk girls ask me to sign their tits? What the fuck, man? What am I doing wroooong?”

“I don’t know, buddy… It will be okay. You’ll be okay, I promise. Maybe one day.” Vivienne was trying her best not to laugh at how ridiculous her brother was being, smiling instead. 

Draken handed her the sharpie back, the smile never left her face. Her Rotom phone flew out of her pocket. She threw up a peace sign and stuck her tongue out cutely as he stood beside her for the picture. Her phone flew back into her hand, looking the photo over before placing it in her pocket. 

“Thanks, handsome.” She blatantly checked him out, smirking. She then sauntered off away from the group. 

He watched her for a moment longer then shook his head, snapping out of it. He moved on to the last few fans until he reached the last one, which surprised him. Draken easily towered over the eleven year old girl. She had to crane her neck back just to look up at him, her mouth dropping. 

“Wow… you really are a giant…” she thought out loud. 

Draken chuckled and sat down on the cobblestoned street, placing his hands in his lap. He smiled warmly at her, seeing how surprised she was when he got down on her level. 

“Here we go. That’s better. Huh?” He tilted his head, noticing a small pokemon hiding behind the girl. “I see you’ve got a little friend with you.” 

The little girl twisted around and looked behind her, stepping aside to reveal a little Jangmo-o. Draken’s eyes lit up seeing the little guy. The Jangmo-o evolutions had always been his favorite Dragon-Type. 

“That’s Draco, my Jangmo-o. He’s a little shy…” 

“I see that.” Draken slowly held out an open hand, eyeing the pokemon softly. “Come here, little guy… I wanna take a good look at you.” 

The Jangmo-o was hesitant and cautious as it crept towards his hand. It sniffed his hand then nuzzled its head against the dragon tamer’s hand. An almost purr-like sound rumbled in its chest. Draken carefully picked the little guy up, placing him in his lap. The little girl stared in awe, watching carefully. Her pokemon had warmed up so fast to him.

“Ooooh, what a good boy you are.” Draken cooed, stroking the top of his head. “Let me take a look at your scales.” Draken carefully examined the little Dragon pokemon as it sat in his lap contently. Everyone was watching his interaction with the little girl and her pokemon. The little girl nervously fidgeted with her jacket sleeves, waiting for him to say something. He hummed softly, glancing up at the girl with the biggest smile on his face. “I must say-” He paused for a moment. “What’s your name, sweetie? I’m sorry, I never asked you.” 

“Ryoko.” She shyly answered, her voice shaking. 

“Well, Ryoko, I must say, you’re doing a beautiful job properly raising this little guy. His scales are perfect, and there's no signs of rushing its training. I’m very impressed.” 

“R-really?” Her eyes lit up as she rocked back and forth on her feet. 

“Oh most definitely. Did someone teach you how to do that?” 

“Oh well, I uh… I watch a lot of your dragon training videos online… my mummy is a big fan of yours. so I got to see a lot of your battles when I was little, too! So-so-so-I uh-oooooh why is it so hard to talk?” 

“Hey, it’s alright, sweetie, you don’t have to be nervous around me.” 

“O-okay… I-I taught myself so I-so I could be like you and Leader Raihan one day…” She wrung her hands, staring down at the ground. “But everyone around me says only guys can be dragon tamers…” 

Draken frowned at her words. If he ever ran into the people who said that to her, he would have to give them a piece of his mind. 

“You see those two girls over there next to Raihan?” He pointed over at Zinnia and Vivienne, drawing the girl’s attention over to them. The two girls waved at the little girl, Ryoko returning their waves. “So the shorter one is my niece, Zinnia, and she has a beautiful way of handling Salamences. I’ve never seen someone handle them as well as her. Then the tall girl? That’s my daughter, Vivienne, and wow… let me tell you something.” 

“What? What?” Ryoko was getting excited, stepping closer to him. 

“I have never seen someone connect to pokemon the way she does, especially her Dragon Pokemon. She may even be a better dragon tamer than me.” 

“She’s a dragon tamer?” Ryoko gasped, looking over at her. 

“Oh yes, and sometimes, she gets discouraged by people or people don’t recognize all her talents and she forgets how talented and amazing she is. Pokemon just gravitate towards her and love her instantly. I’ve told my kids this, and I’ve even told this to Champion Leon, when they were younger: you have to ignore what everybody else says in order to be the best you you can possibly be. Anyone can be whatever they set their mind to, and I think you’d make an excellent dragon tamer. Guys can only be dragon tamers? Oh no. They obviously don’t know the dragon tamers and Leaders in other regions. If that’s what you want to be, you roll with it, sweetheart.” 

Ryoko stood there, practically trembling. She suddenly threw her arms around Draken’s neck, hugging him tightly. Draken made sure Draco didn’t get squished and wrapped his arms around the girl. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She pulled away and clapped her hands excitedly. 

“You’re very welcome, sweetie.” He ruffled her hair, getting a giggle from her. 

“Yeeee, oh um- could you sign this for me and my mummy…? I think it would make her happy.” 

She handed him her two tickets she had for the gym challenge that day. He signed them for her, handing them back to her. 

“You don’t want to lose those. It’s going to be a good match today.” 

“Y-yeah.” She put the tickets shakily back into her bag. “Can-Can Draco be in our picture together?” 

“Absolutely he can!” 

The Jangmo-o yipped happily, getting picked up by Draken again as Ryoko hugged Draken’s neck again with the biggest smile on her face. Ryoko’s phone came flying out of her bag and snapped the photo before returning to its owner. She let go of him and carefully took Jangmo-o into her arms, cradling him. Draken stood up and brushed himself off. He flashed her one more smile. 

“Catch ya later, kiddo. See ya, Draco.” He patted the pokemon on the head before walking back over to his kids. 

“B-bye Mr. Draken.” She hugged Draco gently and waved at him happily. 

“Sorry about that guys, I’m- Vivienne? What’s wrong? Raihan, what did you do to your sister?”

“What do you mean??? I didn’t do anything. She heard you talking and she just started crying. I’m innocent here!” 

Vivienne was staring at him with tears in her eyes. She sniffled, wiping her eyes quickly. After everything that had happened, she hadn’t realized her dad thought so highly of her skills as a dragon trainer. 

“I’m-I’m not crying… I just… I just… you really think I’m amazing?” 

“Awe, baby.” Draken wrapped his arm around her and kissed her temple, walking with her. Vivienne sniffled more resting her head on his shoulder. “Of course I do.” 

“Really? Really?” Raihan shook his head, sighing. 

“You have no room to talk because you literally just sulked over Uncle Draken stealing all the ladies.” Zinnia folded her arms across her chest, looking up at him. “Now it’s your turn to carry me, bitch.” 

“You’ve got legs. Why don’t you use them?” 

“Because I have short, stubby legs, and you guys have long ass legs, and I can’t catch up.” 

Raihan groaned as he crouched down, letting her climb up his back. He hoisted her up and held onto her legs, walking after Vivienne and their dad. 

“You’re really lucky you’re cute, Z… really lucky…” 

“Hehe. I know.”

Chairman Rose sat in his office, drumming his fingers on the surface of his desk. His eyes were focused on the screen in front of him, watching the latest news special. His eyes narrowed at the man shown on the video footage. 

“Galar’s original heartthrob has returned. You heard that right, ladies and gentlemen: Draken Gray, Hammerlocke City’s beloved ex-leader, has returned five years after the tragic passing of his wife. Leader Draken was seen with his family this morning in Hammerlocke City, surrounded by fans.” 

The door to the office opened suddenly. Rose continued staring at the screen, appearing not to have noticed his nephew stepping into the office space. Rose was more focused on the problem in front of him. Draken returning could destroy everything he had worked for to protect Galar’s future. Draken and him had had it out a few times over the years when he had brought it up before. Draken had always been opposed to the use of Dynamax energy, seeing the effects it had in the past, on top of being opposed to the power plant being built inside the castle. Rose’s eyes narrowed more as he recalled the last time the Dragon Leader and himself had one of their many ‘discussions’.

_ “Rose, I honestly don’t understand your obsession over The Darkest Day. I’ve told you everything I know on the topic. I don’t know what else you want from me.”  _

_ “I want you to see reason, Draken.” Rose was staring out over Wyndon City through the wall of windows in his office. He turned to face the Dragon Leader, his face serious. “All of Galar could go extinct in the next thousand years and we need to do what we can to stop that from happening in the present. Don’t you see what I’m saying? We could protect the future now if we secure an energy source to avert the energy crisis.”  _

_ “You’re using a lot of coulds and ifs. What your saying is all hypothetical and hasn’t even been proven by science yet. You’re overanalyzing everything, Rose. The power of the wishing stars and dynamaxing is still new. We don’t even know what else it could do. You’re messing with unknown and powerful energy that’s going to come back and bite you in the ass one day.” _

_ “This is the future!” _

_ “This is dangerous!” Draken shouted back, getting in the Chairman’s face. “Tell me this: why is it that out of all the gyms and open land, why did you put that power plant in MY gym?”  _

_ “Well-well because it-”  _

_ “Since it’s been put in my gym, there have been weird fluctuations in the power spots, one being so intense, one of my trainers got hurt.” _

_ “I’m sorry to hear th-” _

_ “And since it is my gym and the castle has been entrusted to my family for centuries, I find it a bit odd that I don’t have access to the power plant just in case an emergency should occur. But I’m sure you have some lame ass reason for that as well.” Rose remained silent, keeping his eyes on Draken. “I’m not stupid, Rose. I know you’re up to something, and I’ll find out what you’re really up to. If you so much as put the Galarian people and my family in any sort of danger, I’ll end everything you’ve worked for in a blink of an eye.” _

_ “I’d think wisely about threatening me or-” _

_ “Or what? You’ll fire me?” Draken scoffed, his eyes narrowing. The Dragon Leader almost appeared menacing and dragon-like towering over him. “I sell out an entire stadium in a matter of minutes. My family has looked over that castle for centuries and have been leaders since before you even became the Chairman here. Go ahead and try firing me, Rose. Let’s see what Galar will have to say to that, or maybe you’ve forgotten which leader brings in the most money for the league. My family is going through a lot right, and I’m not about to let a little man like you control me.” Draken turned away from the chairman and walked towards the door. He stopped and peered over his shoulder. “Oh and one my thing ‘chairman’... you leave the kid out of this obsession you have… you put enough stress on him as is. Have a good afternoon, Chairman. I’ll let myself out.”  _

“Uncle?” 

Everett’s voice broke him out of his thoughts, but he continued to stare at the screen. He paused the screen. The drumming of his fingers intensified as his brows narrowed more. The atmosphere in the room was tense, both men silent. Everett carefully observed his uncle. His uncle was rarely this quiet, but when he was, that normally meant he was about to blow up.

“Why is he back?” Rose’s voice was strained, trying to remain calm. 

“Who…?”

“Gray… Draken. Gray. Why. Is. He. Back?” 

His eyes finally met Everett’s. An uneasy feeling came over him with the way his uncle was looking at him. There was a level of animosity in his voice as he spat out the name. Everett tried to hold his ground, shifting in his seat. He shrugged. 

“I don’t know why he’s back. How should I know?” 

“Don’t even pull that smug attitude with me right now, Everett.” Rose growled, ceasing his drumming. “You came here then three weeks later, Gray is on the news. This man was to  _ never  _ return to Galar, and now he’s  _ back. _ Now tell me how  _ you. Don’t. Know. _ ” __

“When I left, Vivienne’s annoying cousin was lurking about the airport, maybe she told him. I don’t know. She didn’t seem like a concern.” 

“Didn’t seem like a concern?” Rose’s voice was bitter, his jaw clenched. 

“Yeah, she doesn’t know anything about our plan, so I don’t know why they would have come here. Maybe he’s just visiting Raihan.” 

“In the last five years that he’s been gone, he has not come to visit his son ONCE, Everett. Not. ONCE.” His cool demeanor was fading fast the more his nephew brushed the entire thing off like it was nothing. His fingers curled up into fists.

“Jeesh, I don’t know, Uncle Rose. Calm down, will ya?” 

“Calm down? CALM DOWN?” Rose slammed his fists on the desk, standing to his feet suddenly. “Do you have ANY IDEA how this could ruin EVERYTHING? All our hard work. All our planning. RUINED. That man… and his whole family could potentially ruin everything and you ALLOWED HER TO ESCAPE? How do you know she wasn’t spying on you the whole time? Did you even THINK about taking extra precautions? You might have just jeopardized everything with your carelessness!” 

Rose gripped at his hair, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. He slowly walked around his desk, towering over Everett’s seat. He leaned over, gripping onto the arm rests, getting into his nephew’s face. His eyes would have glared daggers if they could. Everett just sat there, staring directly into his eyes. 

“If this all fails because your cocky, arrogant ego got the better of you, I’m bringing you down with me. This will be on _ you.  _ Do you understand?” 

Everett’s jaw clenched, suppressing the growl building in the back of his throat. 

“Yes, sir… I understand…” He said through clenched teeth. 

“Good… now get out of my office… I don’t want to see you right now.” 

Rose let go of the chair and backed away, watching Everett stand to his feet. He brushed himself off and headed towards the door. Oleana was opening the door to the office to check to see what was going on when Everett walked right past her. She warily watched Everett step into the lift before turning her attention to her boss. Rose leaned against his desk, rubbing his face tiredly. 

Everett glared at the lift door as it began moving down to the lower levels. His fists clenched as he saw his reflection. His eyes were now glowing a fiery red color. He couldn’t lose his cool now, not yet, not over the Gray family and his pathetic uncle. He slowly closed his eyes, sharply inhaling before releasing a heavy breath. When he opened his eyes again, they were back to their normal, bright green shade. He glanced down, noticing the Pokeballs on his belt rattling nervously. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. 

“You all are pathetic… They have no idea who they’re messing with… no idea… but they’ll see… they’ll see soon enough… then we’ll see who’s making the threats then… Enjoy your power now while it lasts, uncle… you don’t even know what's about to hit you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, the next few chapters I think??? Are going to be a little happier but still have angst and suspense in it because psh... you guys know the drill. It's me, come on. xD I hope you guys like this chapter! I love it so much. I'm almost to 3,000 hits on this story too!!! I'm very excited about that. Thank you guys for continuing to read and for being patient with me during my busy schedule. I really appreciate it and all of you.


	33. Pressure Building

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello... this was supposed to be ready for you at Christmas time, but I uh.... depression and lack of motivation are bitches. So here is 15 pages of a lot. So uh... yes. 
> 
> BIG SHOUT OUT TO LINDSAY FOR BEING MY MOTIVATOR AND HELPING ME WITH THIS CHAPTER. Because I really didn't feel like writing that pokemon battle. But I did. And Now... I shall let you all enjoy. 
> 
> I hope you all had a Happy New Year!!!

Chapter Thirty-Three

“Jeesh… this place is packed…” Zinnia’s mouth hung open as they took their seats, eyeing all the people in the stands. Gym battles back in Hoenn weren’t a huge spectacle like they were in Galar. “You really weren’t kidding when you said this was a big deal.”

Draken merely chuckled, stretching his legs out, propping them on the lower bar of the railing in front of them. He had his arm wrapped around Vivienne’s shoulder as she leaned against him. Glancing over at Zinnia, he had a small grin on his face as he shook his head. 

“I’m usually never wrong ninety-five percent of the time.” He turned his attention back to Vivienne, brushing her hair out of her eyes. It made her smile for at least a moment as she stared out onto the field. 

Zinnia observed them both. Vivienne had been quiet since they made it to the stadium. Even when they were talking to the gym trainers and other staff members she wouldn’t talk to anyone. She could tell that she was trying to put on a face for everyone, but she honestly looked exhausted. She had dark circles forming under her eyes and became distant at times; especially right then. Turning her attention to her uncle, he appeared calm and collected in his facial expression, but there were tell signs he was anxious to be in the stadium. His left leg was shaking restlessly as he looked around his surroundings. His eyes couldn’t focus on one thing. They were flitting about, worried about making eye contact with someone. Draken’s fingers were drumming nonstop. It was evident that this was possibly the first time he had set foot in Hammerlocke Stadium in five years since his final battle. She understood this was going to be rough for him, but the leg shaking had to stop. She placed a hand on his knee and stopped his leg from shaking, causing both Draken and Vivienne to look over at her. 

“Leg shaking. Stop it.” 

_ “Whismur! Whismur!”  _ Zinnia’s Whismur hopped off her lap onto Draken’s, snuggling up to him. 

“Aster, what are you- she never does that.” 

Zinnia was about to pick her pokemon up when she stopped. Draken was rubbing behind the tiny pokemon’s ears, causing her to snuggle up closer to him. He almost appeared to relax with the tiny pokemon on his lap. 

“She’s fine. Hello, sweetheart…” Draken cooed, smiling down at Whismur. 

She contently sat there, practically purring from the attention. Zinnia shook her head lightly, unable to hide a smile. If Whismur was helping him be less anxious, she was just going to let the little pokemon vibe right there. It even made Vivienne smile as she watched her younger cousin pet the top of Whismur’s head. Zinnia was startled as the announcer came over the speakers. 

_ “Good afternoon, Hammerlocke Stadium! Who is ready for our challenge of the day?”  _

The stadium went wild in response. Zinnia couldn’t get over the fact Gym Battles were like sports events in Galar. There were even groups of people in the audience chanting sports like chants. She hadn’t even watched the battle yet, but the audience presence was a spectacle in itself. 

_ “Today’s challenger is #029, Alex!”  _

The sixteen year old walked out onto the pitch. Zinnia could tell he was nervous. She had overheard earlier from the gym trainers that the challenger barely made it past the three of them. Was Raihan’s gym really that hard to beat? She had never really seen her cousin battle but glimpses of videos or Vivienne talked about it. Other than that, she had no idea what his battle style was like. It couldn’t have been too serious. Raihan wasn't a very serious person. He was more laid back and hotheaded if anything. It was hard for her to believe he would be this intense when it came to pokemon battles. 

_ “And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for: Now stepping onto the field, wearing the number 241. He’s the final hurdle that all challengers must face. He’ll change the weather on you in a blink of an eye before his dragons let loose. He’s Hammerlocke’s Keeper of Lore and tamer of dragons. You know him, you love him. Give it up for Gym Leader Raaaaaaiiiiihaaaaan!” _

The moment the announcer said his name, a blur shot out onto the field, flying about. It was Raihan on the back of his Flygon with the biggest smirk on his face. His Rotom Phone flew out and snapped a quick photo before zipping away. Flygon flew around in a quick loop before he began to land. Before they even landed, Raihan jumped off and landed in his pose, before straightening up, towering over the challenger. Rotom snapped another photo of him as he gave the challenger a toothy grin. The crowd went completely wild with fans cheering and screaming. If the challenger wasn’t already nervous, he was now and slightly intimidated by the towering figure before him. 

Zinnia’s mouth dropped by the sheer amount of extra that entrance and introduction that was. She knew her cousin had a bit of an ego, but she did not know someone could exuberate with that much confidence. She couldn’t think of any other gym leader who would showcase themselves in such a way. She turned to see what Vivienne and Draken’s reaction to the spectacle was. She really didn’t know what to expect. They were both grinning ear to ear, watching Raihan attentively. 

“The flying out on a dragon pokemon is new.” Vivienne mumbled to her father.

“That’s what we call presentation… and a clever tactic, flying out on Flygon. That kid has no idea what’s about to hit him.” Draken was practically beaming, Whismur excitedly hopping about on his lap watching the field. 

“That poor kid has no idea…” Vivienne snickered. 

_ Why is my family so extra…?  _ Zinnia thought to herself as she turned her attention back to the field. 

“Sup, kid.” Raihan greeted, noticing the kid’s nerves were getting to him. “I’ve been waiting for another challenger to arrive. As I told you yesterday, not many challengers make it this far. You aim to defeat the Champion, but as his greatest rival, I’m going to show you that there’s a lot more to it than just battling. You must be prepared for any situation against a foe like him. So give it all you got, kid.” 

With that, Raihan walked to his spot on the field. Alex took a deep breath and headed back to his spot, turning to face the dragon leader. The referee was on a pokemon Zinnia had never seen before. It almost looked like a sword and shield combined together. She poked her uncle in the arm to get his attention. 

“What pokemon is the referee on?” Zinnia felt her cheeks flushed. She was almost embarrassed that she had to ask him that question. 

“That is an Aegislash. Very popular in Kalos and Galar. It’s a steel and ghost type pokemon.” 

There was no sign of patronizing in his town when he answered her question. It made her feel better asking questions. This was all weird and new for her. The referee raised his flag. 

“Shields up!” He called out through his headset. 

A wave of hexagons rippled in front of the audience before completely vanishing. Zinnia’s eyes widened. Shields? They needed shields to protect audience members? 

“This battle will be a doubles battle. The battle will end when the opposing team’s last pokemon has fainted.” He blew the whistle, signalling for the battle to begin. 

“Flareon, Sylveon, let’s go!” Alex called out, throwing his pokeballs. 

Flareon and Sylveon appeared on the field. 

“Flygon, Gigalith. Let’s give ‘em a real storm today, boys!”

Flygon chriped, flying out on the field as Raihan threw Gigalith’s Ultra Ball onto the field. As soon as the pokemon was released, a rush of sand began to swarm around it, evolving into a larger sandstorm that filled the entire field. It was probably the most intense sandstorm Zinnia had ever seen. She wasn’t sure how Raihan or anyone could see a thing on that field. She caught movement in the corner of her eye. Draken had leaned forward in his seat, holding Whismur so she wouldn’t fall off his lap. It was almost like a child getting his first pokemon seeing the excitement in his eyes.

“Let the winds blow. Stream forward, sandstorm.” Draken mumbled under his breath at the same time as Raihan shouted it. 

Draken’s eyes widened as he heard Raihan use the phrase he had used many times when he was gym leader. It was All the times he had watched Raihan’s battles, he had never really noticed it before. 

“Flareon, Flamethrower on Gigalith, Sylveon, Dazzling Gleam on Flygon!”

“Flygon, dodge and vanish, attacking Sylveon with Steel Wing! Gigalith, you can take it, then use Rock Blast. 

As Sylveon unleashed its move, Flygon chirped happily on the field, doing a quick loop from the fresh sandstorm before vanishing like a flash. Sylveon was having trouble trying to spot Flygon, only to be struck in the back by a powerful Steel Wing attack. It turned around quickly, trying to spot the dragon pokemon, only to find it was gone once more. Flareon released its Flamethrower attack, Gigalith taking the entire attack, not taking much damage from the fire move. It instantly unleashed a Rock Blast as the flames dissipated, knocking into the Flareon full blast. The Flareon yelped, taking a super effective hit, flew back across the field. It was struggling to stand on its feet. Both the eeveelutions were buffeted by the sand, flinching and struggling to see in front of them.

“Flareon! You got this! Use Swift on Gigalith! Sylveon, watch out for Flygon and use Fairy Wind!” 

“Gigalith, finish it with Rock Blast then use Stealth Rock. Flygon, continue using Steel Wing until it's down.”

Flareon could barely get its attack off, instantly getting hit with the Rock Blast, collapsing. Gigalith unleashed rocks onto the opposing team’s field, disappearing the moment they landed. Alex grimaced and quickly returned Flareon to its ball. Sylveon held its ground, searching for any sign of Flygon. It would catch a glance of it, firing random Fairy Wind attacks. Flygon was grazed by a couple of the moves, but not enough to slow it down. It chirped happily as it flew through the storm, almost taunting the fairy type. The onslaught of Steel Wings began, landing their mark. In a matter of three steel attacks, Sylveon fainted, returning to its pokeball. 

“Nice try, guys.” Alex told his pokeballs, returning them to his belt.

The sandstorm subsided, a layer of sand spread out across the field. Alex was fidgeting now. He called out his final two pokemon onto the field. Both were hurt by the rocks hidden on the ground beneath them. 

“Glaceon, Protect! Vaporeon, Hydro Pump on Gigalith!” 

“Gigalith, Body Press on Glaceon! Flygon, Thunder Punch on Vaporeon!” 

Gigalith charged at the Glaceon, slamming its body against an invisible force field protecting it. Gigalith wasn’t prepared for the close ranged, high pressurized water attack. The closeness of the move made it all the more powerful, knocking the rock type unconscious. Raihan returned the pokemon to its Ultra Ball. Flygon chirped once more and built up electricity, attacking the water type full force. Vaporeon was breathing raggedly, fighting hard to stay on its feet, but it couldn’t withstand the critical hit and fainted. Alex swallowed hard, returning the Vaporeon. His hand was shaking now.

“You got one of them, buddy. Good job.”

Duraludon’s Ultra Ball shook on his belt, causing him to look down. A fanged smirk crept onto Raihan’s face. Duraludon only did that when he felt confident the battle was theirs. 

“Oh don’t worry, buddy. It’s your time to shine.” Raihan turned to Alex. “How about we make this fair, yeah? Flygon, return.” Flygon returned to its Ultra Ball, Raihan taking hold of Duraludon’s Ultra Ball. “You knew I wouldn’t go easy on you, but what do you say we bring the storm and send everyone flying?” 

The armband on Raihan’s wrist began to glow, energy surrounding the Ultra Ball. It began to expand, tripling in size. Raihan’s Rotom Phone flew out and took a quick selfie before throwing it onto the field. Zinnia was on the edge of her seat watching Duraludon gigantamaxed before her eyes. It roared, towering over everyone like a skyscraper. Alex returned Glaceon to its ball, doing the same, dynamaxing. 

“Max Hailstorm!” Alex ordered, his voice starting to falter. 

“Break through it with Max Knuckle!” 

Giant hail began to materialize in the sky, falling towards Duraludon. A giant knuckle came flying down, breaking through the hail, colliding hard with the Glaceon. It skidded back, flinching. The broken pieces of hail fell down like snow on the field, the crowd cheering wildly over the move. 

“Max Flare!” 

“Finish it with Max Rockfall!” 

Flames started shooting out towards Duraludon as a massive rock wall formed, towering high over Glaceon. It began to fall and crashed right into the ice pokemon. A huge explosion went off. 

“Holy shit!” Zinnia leapt out of her seat and covered her head. Draken, Vivienne, and a few others chuckled at Zinnia’s reaction. Draken rubbed her back as she slowly uncovered her eyes as the smoke began to settle. 

Alex’s Glaceon was unconscious. Zinnia looked between Draken and Vivienne and pointed at the field. 

“Does...did Rai win?” She hesitantly inquired. 

“Yes, yes he did.” Draken smiled brightly, brushing the hair out of her face. 

“Oh… so… I can cheer…?” 

“Glaceon is unable to battle. Gym Leader Raihan is the winner!” 

“Yes, yes you can.” 

“Yeah!!!! WOO!!!!! Go Raihan!!!” Zinnia shouted, hopping up to her feet. 

“That’s my BRO!!! HELL YEAH!!!! WOO!” Vivienne hopped to her feet, clapping excitedly, the most animated she’d been the entire day.

Draken’s smile brightened more as he stood up, placing whismur in Zinnia’s hoodie before he started clapping. Duraludon returned to its normal size, returning to its ball.

“Way to go, my lovelies. Sandy, I’ll make sure you have some extra play time later, I promise.”

Raihan’s face was practically beaming as he met Alex in the middle of the pitch. Alex looked shaken up and discouraged with his head hung low. Raihan placed his hands in his pocket, smiling lightly down at him. 

“Hey, kid, look at me. You just gotta keep training. You made it this far, and not a lot of challengers make it that far. You can always try again or try again next year.”

Alex glanced up at him and nodded slowly. Raihan held up a fist. Alex hesitated for a moment then smiled, giving him a fist bump before walking off the pitch. Raihan watched him walk off before turning his attention back to the audience, waving at them. The crowd cheered excitedly, chanting his name. He caught his family in the audience and was ecstatic to see them standing and cheering him on. Zinnia noticed he saw them and waved enthusiastically at him. He waved back then saw Vivienne was on her feet, smiling. Raihan blew her a kiss, earning an even bigger smile to form on her face.

“So you’re telling me your entire team ISN’T all dragon pokemon? So like why do they call you the dragon tamer? And like you blew up that pokemon! But it was fine! Like what the fuck is this sorcery? And you- that was intense. You were ruthless. That kid didn’t even stand a chance and you were like ‘psh I got this.’ Like who are you??? I didn’t think my cousin was THAT cool, but you ARE that cool. Like wow. Blew. My. Mind.” 

Zinnia had been rattling off questions and commentary the moment Raihan had come out of the locker room and met them in the locker. Raihan rubbed the back of his neck, laughing and answering her questions to the best of his ability. 

“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it, Z. Now you can brag about your badass, hot cousin to all your friends back home.” He propped his arm on top of her head, snickering as she tried to push his arm off. 

“I think someone was showing off today.” Vivienne teased lightly, poking him in the stomach hard to get his arm off Zinnia. Zinnia quickly made her escape. 

“Oof! Oi! No… no I wasn’t…” His face flushed, mumbling from embarrassment. 

“Well, whatever it was, it was impressive.” Draken reassured. “That sandstorm, Rai, was just- gah it was beautiful and looked intense.”

“Oh my Arceus, wasn’t it? It was  _ sooooo _ intense. It was the strongest one Giga has done. I’m so proud.” 

“Do-do they always get this excited about sand…?” Zinnia whispered to Vivienne as the guys continued to gush about the sandstorm.

“Oh yeah… weather changing moves in general… but they are both in love with whipping up sandstorms…” 

“You wanna escape and show me around while we’re out?” Zinnia glanced up at her, tilting her head towards the door. 

“Sure, why not. You hungry? Because I’m starved.” 

“That’s my secret, Viv… I’m always hungry.” 

“Yeeees, okay, let’s go. Dad, Rai. Z and I are going to go exploring. Bye. Love you. Good job, Raihan!” 

Vivienne quickly kissed her dad and Raihan on the cheek before heading out the door with Zinnia and Whismur right behind her. 

“Alright, girls, love you. Have fun. Well… I guess it’s just you and me, kiddo.”

“That’s alright by me.” 

“Okay so how do you do it?” Raihan enquired out of nowhere as they crossed the bridge, leaving the castle. 

Draken blinked a few times, not sure what his son was asking him. 

“How do I do what exactly?” He responded back, pushing his glasses back up his nose. 

“You know, get girl’s to ask you to sign their tits. Like I’m pretty popular with the ladies since I’ve been Leader, but no one has ever asked me to sign their tits before.” 

“Raihan-” Draken covered his face, feeling his face warm up.  _ Out of all the things you could ask me, it had to be that. Arceus, give me strength…  _

“Okay, sorry, sorry. Chest. Sign their chests.” Raihan quickly corrected himself, seemingly unphased by his question. 

_ Oh boy… Aster… you were right… he’s exactly like me. _

“Why-why do you want to know how to do that in the first place?” Draken had never been more confused in his life. He could answer questions about history, battle strategies, how to train a dragon, dragon-type pokemon, how to braid girl’s hair, but this was something he was not prepared for. 

Raihan merely shrugged, shoving his hands in his sweatshirt pockets. 

“Eh, one: because it would be hot and two: I want to one up Gordie. Bastard’s always bragging about his fans. It would be hysterical to wipe that smug grin off his face.” 

All Draken could do was laugh. It was nice to see that friendly rivalry was still a huge part of the league, especially amongst the younger generation. It reminded him of the mischief Melony, Peony, and him got into when they were younger. Kabu was always the more responsible one getting them out of trouble. Shaking his head, he glanced up at his son, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Well, I uh- I don’t really know, bud. It sort of just...happens? I guess women like the intelligent daddy vibes?” 

Raihan groaned, covering his face with his hands this time. Draken grinned, chuckling at Raihan’s flustered state. Draken didn’t regret what he said for a moment. He knew it was true, and he wasn’t denying it for a second. 

“Oh Arceus, please never say that agaaaaaain.” 

“What? You wanted to know how I did it. I can’t help that’s what women refer to me as.” 

“Yeah, okay, but  _ you _ don’t have to say it.” Raihan shook his head. This only made Draken laugh more, patting his son on the back. “You’re impossible sometimes.” 

“Eh, it comes with being a dad.” Draken shrugged, kicking a stone to the side. 

They fell silent for a bit. Draken thought Raihan finally dropped the topic until his son opened his mouth again. 

“So just  _ how  _ many chests did you sign? Just curious.” 

“Oh my Arceus, you’re not going to drop this until I tell you, are you?” 

“Yup.” Raihan popped the p, snickering. 

“Ugh, fine… I mean it happened once in front of your mother when you guys were little…” 

“Oh shit… how did mum respond to that?” 

“Well, um…” 

_ Aster and Draken were walking home after he met with some fans. His face was still red from the woman asking him to sign her chest. He had never been asked that before and certainly not while in front of his wife. Aster had been merciless on her teasing him the entire way home. He could hear an edge of jealousy in her tone, but mainly it had been playful teasing. Draken knew he was never going to live this down or hear the end of it that night if he didn’t do something about it.  _

_ “Oh my Arceuuuuuuuuus. Draken, will you sign my chest?” she said in a mocking voice, clinging onto his arm.  _

_ Draken laughed, covering half his face with his hand, shaking his head.  _

_ “Baaaaaaaaaaabe.”  _

_ “Why don’t you sign MY chest, baby?” Aster pouted playfully, jokingly asking the question.  _

_ Draken growled lightly, wetting his bottom lip with his tongue. Two could easily play this game. She really had no idea what she was getting herself into when she thought she was going to be the only one doing the teasing that evening. _

_ “Oh darling… there are many things I’d love to do to that chest of yours… and it doesn’t require a signature.”  _

_ He glanced down at her face and noticed her eyes wide and unblinking as she stopped in her tracks. Her cheeks were flushed as she began playing with her hair. He grinned knowing he had won, getting her all flustered. He could see her practically going through all the things he could possibly do to her in her head right on her face.  _

_ “D-Don’t do that to meeeeee.” She covered her face, trying to hide her flushed face.  _

_ It only egged him on to continue. There wasn’t anyone walking around at that end of the city. He took the opportunity, pushing Aster against the wall. A smirk lined his lips as she gasped from the sudden action. It always amazed him how such a simple action could get her to go speechless in a matter of seconds. He ran a finger under her chin slowly, tilting her head carefully to the side as he leaned forward, kissing and nipping along her neck. The quiet little sounds that came from her made him growl.  _

_ “The kids are with Melony tonight… we have the whole house to ourselves… how about I treat my princess tonight…? Would princess like that…?”  _

_ All Aster could do was nod in response.  _

“Dad? Dad!” 

Draken jumped, Raihan bringing him back from his thoughts. His face felt warm as he cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Y-yeah, bud?” 

“How did mum react? You started talking, then you just stopped-” Raihan noticed his dad’s face was flushed, thinking something was wrong. “You okay, dad?” 

Draken cleared his throat, louder this time. 

“Oh uh…yeah, I’m fine. Uh, she just teased me a lot about it, and then-”  _ And then I had the best sex ever with your mum, but I can’t fucking say that to my kid. Ugh, Arceus, why do you hate me?  _ “Then I never got asked again after that, until today that is.”

“Oh, well, mum was pretty cool about things.” 

“Yeah… yeah she was pretty cool about things…” Draken smiled lightly down at the ground, sighing in relief. 

Leon stepped into the meeting room where the others were chilling before yet another boring League meeting. This was the last place he wanted to be at the moment. He would rather be at his flat or out with his pokemon away from people. He just wanted to be left alone. He noticed, when he sat down, that Raihan was sitting with Bea and Nessa that day. By the looks of the three, they were not happy with him whatsoever. The neverending list of people who were pissed off at him just kept on growing. The meeting couldn’t start any sooner, but they still had about fifteen more minutes until the Chairman would come and start everything. 

“Raihan Gray.” 

The sharp, angry voice caused Raihan to flinch as he glanced around his shoulder to see Melony stepping into the room and heading straight towards him. He quickly covered his head, knowing a head smack was coming. 

“Ms. Melony, please have mercy!” 

“Why didn’t you tell me your father was home? Why did I have to find out over the telly? You better have a good reason, young man.” Melony placed her hands on her hips, glaring down at him with the most intense mom look. It made all the younger leaders lower their own heads as if they were in trouble as well.

“A lot-A lot’s been going on. Plus-plus Kabu knew. Why aren’t you yelling at him???” 

Melony’s head sharply turned, finding Kabu slumping down into his chair, covering his face with his hand. Gordie was seated beside him with a smirk on his face as he scrolled through his phone. 

“Kabu’s in the doghouse now. Guess no new step daddy for me.” Gordie snickered. 

“Milo.” Melony’s tone was icy as her glare turned onto her son.

Milo slowly raised his hand, almost hesitant to whack Gordie in the back of the head. Gordie was instantly sitting up, pointing at Milo with narrowed eyes. 

“Now don’t you start in on it too!” 

“Okay.” Milo quickly lowered his hand to his lap, fiddling with his thumbs. 

Kabu peeked through his fingers at Melony, seeing her with her arms folded across her chest and a small pout on her lips. He smiled lightly, rubbing the back of his neck. She couldn’t stay mad at him for long, but he knew it was better to apologize now instead of later. 

“Mel, you know I would have told you right away… but Vivienne had an incident, and it wasn’t the greatest time to tell anyone.”

That was news for a majority of the table. It had been strange to not see either Raihan or Vivienne posting anything the past two weeks. Melony and Leon both were alert as soon as soon as they heard something had happened. Melony’s brows furrowed, not liking the sound of that. 

“Well is Vivienne alright? What happened?” 

“She’s fine now, but-” Kabu glanced over at Raihan. When he nodded, Kabu continued. “Same thing that happened to Draken.” 

Leon and the others had no idea what that meant, but judging by the expression on Melony’s face, it wasn’t good. And that scared Leon. Did she hurt herself? Was it all his fault? What was so bad that Kabu and Melony had to be cryptic about the entire situation? Melony forced a smile down at Raihan and rubbed his back as if consoling him. That didn’t reassure Leon whatsoever. 

“Oh… well, I’m glad Vivienne is doing better and that your dad is home.” She brushed the back of her finger along his cheek, getting a small smile out of the dragon leader. “We’ll have to do something for him while he’s here.” 

“Please… they both need to get out of the house… I can only deal with one introvert at a time. I was surprised I got them both to go out yesterday.” 

“You just have to be… patient with them, Rai sweetheart. They just need ti-” 

Rose stepped into the room at that moment. Any banter and conversation was silenced by how he entered the room. The atmosphere was heavy out of nowhere, no one daring to utter a word. Rose appeared to be in a mood, and by a mood, meaning someone pissed on his breakfast and this meeting was going to be a living hell. Flipping on the projector, he plopped the remote quite aggressively on the table causing Allister to jump in his seat. The young boy curled up in his seat, trying to hide as best as he could in his seat. 

“If you all could sit, that would be great.” Rose’s tone was harsh and lacked patience. He wasn’t himself at all that day. 

Everyone glanced over at Melony who was the only one standing. They all became more uneasy as Melony slowly turned to Rose, her arms crossing over her chest once more. If looks could kill, Rose would have dropped dead at that moment. Rose glanced up and saw the ice-type Leader’s icy glare and instantly realized he messed up. He cleared his throat, averting his gaze quickly. Melony was one not to piss off. 

“Please… could you take your seats please?” His tone was calmer and more sincere that time. 

Melony glared at him for a moment longer before slowly making her way to her seat. Rose and the others watched her as she made eye contact with Rose the entire time. She even took her time in settling herself in her seat, making him wait longer to start the meeting. Smoothing out her uniform, she folded her hands on the table, giving him a hard look to show she was ready for him to begin. Rose cleared his throat again, beginning the meeting without a greeting or explanation. His agitation was still evident as he spoke, only seeming to grow as the meeting went on. 

Leon wasn’t focused on the powerpoint whatsoever. He couldn’t even hear half of what the Chairman was saying. Everything was far away and distant. The longer he was in the room, the more he wanted to leave. No matter how hard he tried to get out of his funk, he just couldn’t get everything that happened out of his head. It was hard going to anyone about everything because everyone was pissed off at him for what he did. Not to mention everyone would think he was raving mad for thinking Everett had anything to do with his actions. It was all piling higher than he could handle. He wasn’t dealing with any of this well, and on top of that, now he was worried his actions had driven Vivienne to do something dangerous. If anything happened to Vivienne because of him, he would never be able to forgive himself. 

Snapping caused Leon to jump, sitting up straight in his seat. He looked up and saw Chairman Rose scowling at him, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

“I’m sorry, Leon, is this not interesting enough for you?” Rose sneered at him. Leon tried stammering an apology but was quickly silenced as Rose continued. “Perhaps next time I could have Oleana add little animations to make it more entertaining for you.” 

Leon’s face flushed, not having felt this embarrassed and humiliated in years. He could feel the tears beginning to burn his eyes, wanting nothing more than to run out of the room. Everyone was watching him now. The younger leaders, including Raihan, practically had their mouths hung open from the shock of what happened. Even Piers’s normal stoic expression was that of shock. Allister had already hid his face in his hands, not liking the confrontation and harshness of the chairman’s words. They had never heard the chairman speak to Leon like that before. But Kabu, Melony, and Opal… they had seen this too many times before in the past between Rose and Leon, and they didn’t like it anymore than they did then. The three narrowed their eyes at the Chairman, about to say something when both Piers and Raihan stood up, eyes glaring at Rose. 

“Excuse me, but what the fuck did you just say to him?” No one had seen Piers this heated up before. “That’s crossing the fucking line there, mate.” 

“If you actually cared about your staff, you would see that he isn’t okay.” Raihan snarled this time, placing his hands flat on the table. “You don’t have the fucking right to talk to him like that.” 

“I suggest you both sit down now, or there will be consequences.” Rose threatened, taken aback by how the two younger leaders spoke to him. 

Piers pushed his chair back farther, it screeching along the floor. He headed for the door, shaking his head. 

“You can carry on with the meeting without me. You and your meeting can fucking piss off, mate. You don’t talk to people like that. This is exactly the kind of shit why I want out of this shit show.” 

With that Piers was out the door and walking down the hallway towards the lift. Rose couldn’t believe the lack of control he had of this situation, especially seeing Raihan still standing there with the same fierce look his father used to give him when he would scold Leon for anything. It pissed Rose off more being reminded of Draken’s smugness. 

“Consequences for what? What are you going to do, sir? Fire your two most popular Leaders? Yeah, let’s see how that fucking works with the fans and when your ticket sales plummet drastically. Now I don’t know exactly why you are in a bad mood today, and I’m sorry you’re having a shit day. We all have shit days. But that doesn’t give you the right to talk to him or anyone like that. He may be Galar’s Champion, but he’s still a fucking human being. So why don’t we continue on with this meeting like any other time and grow up a little?” 

It was quiet, too quiet, as Raihan and the Chairman stared each other down. Leon couldn’t take anymore, feeling on the verge of tears. He wasn’t about to cry in front of everyone in the room and humiliate himself more. He quickly stood up, excusing himself as he walked out of the room, trying to grasp onto the last strand of dignity he had left in that moment. 

Nessa had carefully been watching Leon throughout the whole confrontation and before it had even started. There was seriously something wrong with him. She had been through some pretty shitty break ups, but after Vivienne explained what happened, she couldn’t believe that this Leon was the same Leon that said all that awful shit to Vivienne. Most guys who said things like that were big talk and appeared to be moving on, not seeming to be bothered that they broke someone’s heart.. Leon didn’t appear that way at all. It was like looking at someone who was utterly defeated. She watched him carefully as he stepped out of the meeting room. 

Melony was already on her feet, worriedly keeping her eyes on Leon. 

“I should go talk to him…” 

“Bea and I will go check on him, Melony. Come on, Bea.”

Bea nodded, both girls standing to their feet. Rose sighed heavily, threading his fingers through his hair in frustration. 

“Just let him go, so we can continue-” Rose started only for Nessa to raise her hand to stop him. 

“Your meeting can wait. And plus, this meeting was over the moment you spoke to Leon like that.” 

“I hope you don’t intend to talk like that to Allister and the rest of us.” Bea’s eyes narrowed as Bea and Nessa left the meeting room. 

“Hm…” The entire room’s attention was drawn to the elderly leader, who had remained silent the entire time. Opal’s aged fingers drummed along the handle of her umbrella, staring right at the chairman. “I think the adults need to have a chat with the Chairman… I would like to ask the younger leaders to leave the room.” 

The remainder of the younger leaders exchanged glances amongst one another before slowly standing to their feet, heading out the door. Raihan was the last to leave. Before he closed the door behind him, he noticed the nervous expression on the chairman’s face as Opal and the remaining to Leaders stared him down. 

When Nessa and Bea finally found Leon, they were surprised to see the state he was in. He was seated on the floor of the locker room, leaning against the wall of lockers. His head banging gently back against the locker repetitively. The closer they got to them, they saw the tears running down his face. The girls couldn’t remember the last time they had seen Leon, or had ever even seen him cry to begin with. Nessa stepped forward slowly then stopped when she was standing in front of him. 

“Leon…?” 

His eyes gradually met hers, bloodshot from crying. He lowered his eyes, resting his arms on his knees. 

“If you’re both here to yell at me or make me feel like an even shittier human, Imma need you to take a number and get in line…” His voice cracked, sniffling. 

“That’s not why we’re here, Leon…” Nessa sat down in front of him, sitting on her legs. Bea joined her on the floor, hugging her legs to her chest. “Leon… what the hell’s going on? This isn’t you. We knooooow you.” 

“I know it’s not me… I know… I just-” He grabbed at his hair, growling in frustration. They were just going to think he’s crazy. No one was going to believe him, so what was the point of talking about it. “It’s crazy… you guys won’t believe me.” 

“We already think you’re crazy in general, Leon.” Bea grinned when she managed to get him to chuckle a bit. 

“Honestly, everything’s been fucking utter shit since I-” He stopped himself, taking a deep breath. He didn’t even want to say it out loud. 

“Since… everything with Vivienne happened…?” Bea finished his thought for him, her voice remaining soft. 

All he could do was nod. 

“But what I don’t understand, Leon, is why would you say all those things to her? I thought you guys were doing great.” 

“We were- I just- GAH! I don’t know why I said all those things. I didn’t want to say those things, but it was like he was in my head. And I couldn’t get him out of my head.” 

“Woah woah woah… slow down… it’s okay… he? Who is he?” 

“Everett. That fucking prick who dated Vivienne. He was talking all this shit about Vivienne, and I didn’t want to believe a word of it because it was nothing but bull shit. But this… pressure was suddenly in my head and I kept getting this feeling of doubt that everything he was saying was true. It felt like my mind went automatic, and I wasn’t in control anymore… anytime I tried to fight it, the pressure kept increasing and a ringing in my ears started. Then his voice started repeating in my head, and- ugh, why am I telling you all of this? You all must think I’m raving mad now…” 

Nessa carefully thought about what he had said. From what he was describing, it almost sounded like a psychic or ghost type pokemon’s way of protecting itself in the wild or one of its attack move sets in a battle. Taking one glance at Bea showed that her friend was thinking the same. 

“No… that doesn’t sound crazy…” Nessa reassured him, scooting over to sit beside him. “Sounds like a psychic pokemon was messing with your head… were there any pokemon around you guys when this was all happening?” 

Leon tried to think back to the night, but he didn’t recall seeing any pokemon around him. He recalled seeing Everett messing with something in his pocket, but other than that, no pokemon. He shook his head, feeling more discouraged now. 

“Okay, did you notice anything else?” Bea was quick to continue the conversation, not wanting him to close himself off again. 

“I don’t know… Everett kept messing with something in his pocket… I don’t know guys, maybe I did say all that shit, and I’m just making excuses for hurting Viv…” 

“For starters, stopping you there because it’s pretty clear something was compelling you to say all those things. Two, are you hearing yourself right now? Have you seen yourself right now? You look like utter shit, Lee. You’re upset. You’re not okay. And you’re just giving up on this because you think we think you’re crazy? Last time I checked, the Leon I know doesn’t give up on what he knows is right and what he believes in.” 

Leon remained quiet, staring down at his lap. Fresh tears ran down his face as he finally looked over at Nessa. Out of all the people who believed him, it was Bea and Nessa, which surprised him the most. It was nice to finally get it off his chest, but it was still hard for him to open up to people. 

“You’re right… still doesn’t make me feel less of a shitty person.” 

Nessa sighed heavily, knowing this would take time and she might need more than just her and Bea’s word. She needed help from the others. None of this was going to get resolved if they didn’t at least attempt to try something. But that could wait a bit. Right then, Leon just needed someone there for him. 

“You better not go blabbing this to anyone… I’m only doing this because… you look like you could really use a hug right now.” Nessa grumbled, hugging his waist tightly.

Leon was shocked that Nessa would even give him a hug, of all people, and even more surprised when Bea threw her arms around him, hugging him as well. He hid his face in Nessa’s shoulder, breaking into a sob. It all hit him the moment they hugged him, and he didn’t care about holding it back any longer. 

“Sh… It’s okay, buddy… It’s okay to cry once in a while…” Bea reassured him, rubbing his back. “You’re okay… Everything’s going to be okay…”


End file.
